


Balconies

by dearingsattler



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: All mentioned characters will make an appearance, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Femslash February 2019, Laytons Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy, One Shot Collection, Women In Power, likely incorrect interpretations of what mayors would do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-10-21 23:24:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 40,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17651672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearingsattler/pseuds/dearingsattler
Summary: A series of chronological (unless otherwise stated) one shots surrounding the relationship between Katrielle Layton and Pipper LowonidaMostly fluff, occasional angst, some smut (explicit chapters marked)





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> So I started writing these last summer when I first played Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy and am only just getting around to publishing whoops. Anyway I fell in love with this ship so before I knew it I had 16 chapters written and since it's femslash feb I decided to post them. Plan is to post all 16 chapters this month so regular updates are to be expected but I'm not going to promise cause life happens
> 
> Also please note this follows game canon and not anime canon as I have not watched the anime (maybe someday but not right now at any rate)

Pipper gazed out over the city from her balcony, taking in the hustle and bustle of London that never seemed to stop.  That was one of the things she loved most about London, any time her own life got to be a bit much she could come out onto the balcony and see the same thing, experience the same feeling.  It was calming for her in many ways.  Her musings were interrupted by Hessie coming out onto the balcony.

“Mayor Lowonida?”

She turned to face her, “yes Hessie?”

“Miss Layton is here to see you.”

Pipper had thought it would only be a matter of time before she saw Katrielle again, especially considering the events that had just transpired only a few days ago.  She just hoped that the whole thing had not changed Kat’s opinion of her.

“Send her in.”  She nodded at Hessie before turning to gaze out over the city once more.  She felt Kat come up and join her at the railing, staying silent at first.

“I never did thank you,” was how Kat finally broke the silence after a few moments had passed.  All Pipper could do was gape at her.  Kat giggled, “I mean for the cake you sent the other day.”

Pipper barked out a laugh, “and here I was worried that you were mad at me for what transpired.”

“Why ever would I be mad?”  Kat’s head tilted in confusion, something that Pipper found to be utterly endearing.

“Everything that went down,” she looked out over the city again, “misunderstanding or not we were the cause of Ernest’s pain – I was the cause.”  Her voice broke as she spoke.

Kat paused in thought for a moment.  “Tell me, Pipper, how old were you when all this occurred?”

“Hardly eighteen.  My father was still alive at the time, it was always him more so than me who was friends with the rest of the Dragons and Richmond.  But in his last few years he fell too ill to engage in most activities.” Pipper paused, swallowing back the tears that threatened to fall as she remembered her father’s last few years.  She felt Kat’s hand on her arm, rubbing it soothingly.  “He asked me if I would go in his stead and I agreed, not knowing what I was truly getting myself into.  Not that that is an excuse.”

Kat was silent.  Pipper looked over and saw her looking deep in thought.  The silence almost deafening she started rambling again.

“I ended up in way over my head, suddenly finding myself with all this money that I hadn’t a clue what to do with or even felt as though I deserved.  All I knew is that we were all to use it for the betterment of London, so I threw myself into my studies, graduated by the time I was twenty-one, a city councillor by the time I was twenty-two, and then became London’s youngest mayor at twenty-six.  Now here we are two years later, and all of this has come back to haunt me.”  She paused to take a breath and was stopped from speaking again by Kat’s hand covering her own on the railing.

“I couldn’t be any angrier at you for this whole situation that I could be with Ernest.”  Pipper stared at her, disbelief clear on her face.  “Pipper, you were hardly more than a child, you did the best you could with the situation that was thrown at you.  Like you said, this whole situation was a large misunderstanding, there might be some blame on some parties involved but you’re hardly one of them.”

Pipper felt one of the tears that had been threatening to fall finally slide down her cheek.  “That doesn’t make me innocent in all of this.”

“Well if you’re going to put it that way then neither is Ernest.”  Again, Pipper found herself unable to do anything but stare at her.  Kat shrugged, “misunderstanding or not, he did trick you all to Richmond Court and tried to con all seven of you out everything you had.”

“He did nothing wrong!” Pipper protested.

“And neither did you,” Kat gave her hand a squeeze, “you and Ernest have a lot more in common than you think.  Neither of you had any real guidance through any of this, but you’ve both come through it relatively unscathed and have made something of yourselves.  Obviously your situations were different, but the point still stands.”

More tears fell down Pipper’s face.  “I still wouldn’t blame him for blaming me.”

“He doesn’t though.” Kat reached up to brush a tear from Pipper’s cheek.  “He doesn’t blame any of you anymore.  In fact, I think the only person he blames now is himself.”

Pipper smiled wanly.  “It would appear then that all of us are only capable of blaming ourselves.”

“Yes, it would seem that way.”

Pipper felt a laugh bubble up and break free of her lips.  This time it was Kat that could do nothing but stare as Pipper laughed hysterically.  “God, you’re the only one of us that isn’t messed up, aren’t you?  The rest of us could probably use some therapy.”

Kat smirked, “trust me, I’m more messed up than you realize.  But I’m glad to have been able to help in this situation.”

The two looked at each other and burst into a giggle fit at the whole situation.  “Thank you, Katrielle.”  Pipper said once she had sobered.

Kat pulled Pipper into a hug.  Pipper froze for a second, not being used to this sort of affection, but relaxed into the embrace, enjoying the feeling of Kat’s arms around her.  “Anytime, Pipper.”

 

Later, after Kat had left, Pipper went back out onto her balcony and let the hustle and bustle of the city below envelope her senses.  However, this time was different.  This time it was not the sounds of the city that Pipper credited for the sense of calm that had swept over her.  This time, she realized, that feeling could be attributed to Katrielle Layton.

She just did not know if that scared her or not.

(Upon running into Kat a few days later, she realized that the answer to that question was most decidedly both.  She was terrified, but oh was she ever elated by these feelings)


	2. Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sort of slice of life for Pipper as a Dragon except this time she has feelings(tm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright here we go with chapter 2 - Madame Doublee has some sort of event that Pipper can't really keep track of (bless her soul) and Katrielle and Ernest are also present, I'm sure you can see where this is going

One thing that had changed since the events of Richmond Court – for the better if you asked Pipper – was that Ernest and Katrielle were now always invited to the events that the Dragons hosted.

This particular event was one being hosted by Madame Doublée, a reception of sorts in hopes of attracted potential new partners to a new business venture of hers.  Pipper was not entirely sure the context, she just knew that it was an event where everyone dressed in formal wear and engaged in small talk while waiters came around with hors-d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne.

Truthfully, Pipper was not much of a fan of these events.  Small talk had never been something she was good at, and she quite frankly found the whole thing exhausting.  They had become more bearable as of recent though, Liza had finally started accepting invitations and attending events more and Pipper was always glad for her company.  Liza was quiet and seemed to be as uncomfortable as Pipper herself felt at these events, and it had helped that the two had bonded over being so much younger than the other Dragons, though she herself was a few years older than Liza.

But if Pipper were being honest, the biggest reason behind her newfound tolerance of these events was Katrielle Layton’s presence.

Pipper had found herself quite taken with the girl since her visit in the aftermath of Richmond Court, possibly even since the Riverside Festival if she were being honest.

Of course, the fact that she was always accompanied by Ernest made things a bit complicated.  Pipper was honestly glad to see him involved, to see some of the damage they had created undone, but his crush on Kat would be obvious to even the most oblivious of souls.  Kat herself was harder to read though, and so Pipper decided it was best to keep her feelings to herself, she did not want to cause Ernest any more unnecessary pain after all.

“Pipper! There you are!”  Kat’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Pipper smiled warmly.  “Katrielle, how wonderful to see you, your dress is lovely.”  It really was Pipper thought, the deep blue gown hugged her in the all the right places and was a lovely colour on her.  And, of course, was paired with a matching hat for the occasion.

Kat blushed, “thank you.  And yours is absolutely stunning.  Just needs a hat,” she winked.

Pipper glanced down at her own emerald gown in embarrassment, “thank you, Kat.  Honestly though, I wouldn’t know where to start when it comes to hats, I’ve never been one for them.”

“You do have lovely hair, it would be a shame to cover it up,” Kat said musingly.  Pipper could not formulate a coherent response before Kat spoke again.  “Oh, Liza!  How wonderful to see you.”  Pipper looked over her shoulder and sure enough, there was Liza standing behind her.

“Katrielle.  Pipper.  Nice to see you both here.”  Liza nodded at them, her hands clasped in front of her like usual.

Pipper gave her a warm smile.  “Liza, how have you been?”

“I’ve been well, thank you.  And yourself?”

“Can’t complain but I’ve been rather busy.  We must meet up for tea sometime soon though.”

Liza smiled, “sounds wonderful.  You should join us as well, Katrielle.”

“I would love that,” Kat glanced at Pipper.  “Assuming Pipper is okay with it, of course.”

“Absolutely,” Pipper smiled brightly at Kat, thrilled at the idea of being able to spend more time with her.

“Miss Layton, I have procured you a drink,” Ernest suddenly appeared behind Kat, a couple of flutes of champagne in his hands.

“Thank you, Ernest.” Kat accepted the offered drink and took a small sip.

“Ah, Mayor Lowonida, Miss Wight, how are you?”  Ernest asked once Kat had her drink.

“Ernest please, call me Pipper, there’s no need for formalities here.”  Liza nodded in agreement as Pipper spoke.  “But I am well, thank you, how are you?”

“Getting better,” he said honestly.  Pipper nodded, she knew he had a lot to work through and it realistically had not been that long since Richmond Court.

“Glad to hear,” she said just as Madame Doublée’s voice came over the loudspeaker drawing their attention away from their conversation.

 

Once the speeches had concluded, Pipper found herself out on the balcony.  It had nothing on the balcony of her office of course, but there had always been something calming about the balcony of the ballroom at Madame Doublée’s, likely because it was an escape from the small talk that came with these events.

Kat had melded into the crowd to go and chat with the other guests, Ernest right at her heels, and Liza had made her excuses and left and so Pipper was alone, with nothing but the sounds of the night for company.

“Care for some company?”

Pipper turned and was surprised to see Ernest, alone, at the balcony door.  “Of course,” she replied, “come join me.”

He joined her at the railing and looked up at the sky.  “I always loved looking at the stars from my window as a child, you could always see more here than in the centre of the city.”

Pipper followed his gaze upwards, taking in the night sky.  “They truly are beautiful.  You should take a trip into the countryside sometime, they’re a true sight to behold out there.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind.”  Silence fell over them for a moment as they continued to gaze up at the night sky.  “Mayor Lowonida – Pipper,” Ernest paused, seemingly struggling to find the right words.

“What is it, Ernest?  You can talk to me about whatever you want.”  Pipper placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, hoping that it would help encourage him.

He took a deep breath, “I wanted to speak to you about Miss Layton.”

“What about her?”  Pipper was not sure she liked where this was going.

“I see the way you look at her.”  Ernest’s voice was quiet as he spoke, his expression hard to read.

Pipper felt the situation come crashing down on her. “Ernest, I –” she managed to choke out before he held up a hand to stop her.

“Let me finish.  I’ve known Miss Layton for a while, been trying to impress her for a while, as I have probably made overly obvious.” He chuckled wanly.  “But I have never gotten a response.  I thought at first that the best course of action was to not give up, to continue trying to impress her, but I’ve realized recently that that’s not the best choice.”

“What are you saying Ernest?”

Ernest steeled himself, “I’m saying that I’ve gotten to know Miss Layton in the process, and I’ve come to realize that, whether or not she realizes it herself, she returns your feelings.”  He swallowed.  “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but it’s hard to deny.”

Pipper felt tears prick at the backs of her eyes.  “Ernest, I have made mistakes in the past, but I would never _ever_ do anything to hurt you, not again, I’ve done more than enough for a lifetime.”

“You know I never did blame you for that.  Even when I was convinced that I was doing the right thing, I would have left you and Miss Wight both out of it if it had made sense to.”  He hung his head.  “Still though, it was the wrong thing to do to any of you.”

“I don’t blame you, none of us do.  We just regret that we were unable to locate you sooner.”

“Well none of you could have guessed that I would change my name,” Ernest chuckled.  “Anyway, back on topic.  I know that you would never purposefully hurt me, but I also know that I want Miss Layton to be happy.  And I’m not the person for that.”  He gave Pipper a small smile.  “Just don’t hurt her, okay?  That’s all I ask.”

Pipper felt the tears well up again.  “I won’t.  And for all it’s worth, I am sorry, Ernest.”

He clasped her hand.  “You can make it up to me by treating her right.”

“I will, I promise.”  The two exchanged a meaningful look just as Kat’s voice floated out from ballroom.

“Ernest!  Inspector Hastings just called, he needs our help.”

“Apologies Pipper, but it would appear duty calls.”  Ernest turned to make his way back inside.

“Good luck, I’m sure I’ll hear all about the case soon enough.”

Ernest paused to smile at her.  “I’m sure you will as well.  And good luck to you as well.”  With that he disappeared into the ballroom.

Pipper turned back to the railing with a smile, swirling her long-forgotten champagne in its glass.  That had gone a lot better than expected, Ernest had truly proved himself to be a good person and she swore to herself she would make good on that promise.

She also decided that she might see about finding a way for him to get paid as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ernest is a pure boy and I want to wrap him in a blanket and protect him okay.
> 
> Anyway tomorrow or next day for next chapter again, though I have a written thing for school that I really need to finish so I may have to not post until that's done :\


	3. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kat is sad and Pipper is an utterly hopeless bisexual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I finished my application which means we do get a chapter today. Today we have the eleventh anniversary of the Professor's disappearance and Pipper not being good at flirting (or maybe it's Kat that's the oblivious lesbian we'll never know)

Pipper was at a loss.

Now, if she were being honest, she did not really have much experience in trying to woo anyone.  She had had a short fling when she was in school, but otherwise she had been too busy to consider romance.

And damn was Katrielle proving to be a challenge.

The best advice Ernest had been able to give her, bless his soul, was that the way to Kat’s heart was more than likely through her stomach, and based on what Pipper had witnessed the past few weeks she was not inclined to disagree.

Pipper’s plan of attack had more or less become pick up some sort of delicacy before meeting Kat and then pair it with some light flirting.  Kat always responded positively to the food (seriously, was there anything that girl _didn’t_ like?) but seemed to not notice the flirting at all.

She really had no idea what else to do.

She had been sitting in her office contemplating her next move when the phone rang.  It had been a quiet day thus far and Pipper groaned, knowing that it had been too good to be true.

“Mayor Lowonida,” she answered in a crisp, professional term.

“Erm, Pipper?  It’s Ernest.”  Came Ernest’s nervous voice.

“Ernest,” Pipper’s voice brightened, “how are you?”

“Worried if I’m being honest.  I don’t suppose you would be able to come over, would you?”

Pipper frowned in concern, immediately starting to collect her things to leave.  “What’s going on?”

“It’s just – Miss Layton hasn’t left her room all day, which normally I wouldn’t worry so much about except she hasn’t even touched the tea I’ve left outside her door, nor do I think she’s eaten anything.”  Ernest’s words came out in a rush and left Pipper alarmed.

“I’m leaving the office now, I’ll be there shortly.”  Pipper hung up the phone and grabbed her bag, practically running out of the office.  “Hessie?”

“Yes Ms Lowonida?”

“Something’s come up, I’ll be out of the office the rest of the day.  Field whatever is needed, I am not to be disturbed.”  Pipper put on her mayor voice as she spoke, a tone she usually tried to avoid but the situation definitely warranted it.

“Of course, Ma’am, hope everything is okay.”  Hessie nodded, scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

“So do I,” with that, Pipper dashed out of the office and quickly hailed a cab to Chancer Lane.

She made only one quick detour into Lipski’s patisserie to pick up a dozen shortbread biscuits, knowing they were a favourite of Kat’s, before making her way into the Layton Detective Agency.

“Pipper, thank goodness.”  Ernest rose to greet her as soon as she came in the door.  “I’ve tried everything I can think of, even Sherl hasn’t had any luck (Pipper could have sworn she heard the dog groan) and the only other person I could think of who had a chance of getting through to her was you.”

Pipper frowned.  “Doesn’t Kat have an older brother?”

Ernest rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  “Well, yes she does, but let’s just say he’s currently unable to help.”

Pipper decided that was a conversation best left for another day.  “Okay, which room is hers?”

“Upstairs, second door on the left.  I’ll bring up some fresh tea.”  Ernest answered immediately, relieved that Pipper had not pressed further.

Pipper nodded and made her way up the stairs and to Kat’s door, noticing that there was in fact an untouched tray outside her door.  She knocked gently, “Katrielle?  It’s Pipper.”  No answer.  Pipper knocked again, “Katrielle?  Kat?  I’m coming in.”  Still no answer.

She pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of Kat curled up in a chair, simply starting blankly out the window.  Pipper stepped into the room and gently closed the door behind her before moving closer to the window, putting the bag of biscuits on the surprisingly empty desk that was located on the left wall.

She moved closer to Kat, perching on the windowsill.  “Kat?  You’re scaring me, please say something.”  She reached out to place a hand on Kat’s shoulder, but stopped herself not knowing how she would react.

Kat blinked a few times, seemingly coming back to reality.  “Oh, Pipper!”  She took in Pipper’s alarmed expression.  “Is everything okay?”

Pipper gaped at her.  “You haven’t come out of your room all day, you haven’t eaten anything, none of us have been able to get you to respond until now and you’re asking _me_ if everything is okay?”

“Yes?”

Pipper sighed, moving so that she was sitting on the arm of the chair and putting an arm around Kat’s shoulders.  “Talk to me Katrielle, what’s going on?”

Kat leaned into Pipper’s side, seeking the offered comfort.  “It’s the anniversary of my dad’s disappearance.”

“Oh, sweetheart.”  Pipper slid down so she was in the chair with Kat.  It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but it was not uncomfortable as Kat wrapped herself around Pipper appreciatively.

“I thought once I opened the agency that I would have the resources, the ability to hopefully track him down.  But I’ve been open a few months now and still nothing.  I just feel as though I’m failing him.”  Kat sniffled and tightened her grip on Pipper.

“You haven’t though,” Pipper stroked Kat’s hair soothingly.  “Failing him would be not looking at all.  You’re doing the best that you can, and the search isn’t over yet.  I have complete and utter confidence in you, and if there’s anything I can do for you don’t hesitate to give me a call, okay?”

“Thank you, Pipper.”  Kat looked up at Pipper meaningfully.

Pipper decided to gamble slightly.  She pressed a gentle kiss to Kat’s temple before untangling herself to grab the biscuits and tea.  “Now, I do believe there is a fresh tray with tea waiting outside this door, and,” she picked and swung the bag of biscuits, “some of your favourite shortbread from Mr. Lipski’s patisserie.  We’re going to get some food in you even if I have to feed you by hand myself.”

Kat was blushing – Pipper was not sure if it was cause of the kiss or the feeding by hand comment – but she had a playful tone in her voice as she replied, “is that a threat I hear?”

Pipper opened the door and grabbed the tray before giving Kat a smirk.  “More like a promise.”  She put the biscuits on a plate on the tray and then brought them over to the window.

Kat picked up a biscuit.  “Well, as tempting as that sounds, it doesn’t take much to convince me to eat a biscuit.”  She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.  “Hmm, you know this isn’t exactly a meal, maybe I could get Ernest to bring up some sandwiches for us.”

Pipper, who had been rendered speechless by her first comment, laughed.  “There’s the Katrielle Layton we all know and love.  Some sandwiches do sound good though and I know of a place nearby that does excellent ones.  Shall I send Ernest out to pick some up?”

“Sounds excellent.  And Pipper?”

“Yes, Katrielle?”

Kat leaned over to give Pipper a kiss on the cheek, Pipper immediately blushing profusely.  “Thank you.  For everything.”

Pipper smiled and hugged her.  “Of course, you’re more than worth it after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who am I kidding, they're both useless
> 
> Anyway tomorrow is shaping up to be a mess so I wouldn't expect an update tbh, like I'll try but I can't make any promises. If you're like me and expecting an ice storm stay safe out there


	4. Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time Pipper is the sad one and things happen
> 
> Or the moment we've all been waiting for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well ice storms may suck but I ended up not having work today as school was cancelled so you do get a chapter!
> 
> This time we have the anniversary of Pipper's father's death so Kat gets to return the favour

Katrielle Layton was a woman on a mission.

Her and Pipper’s relationship had shifted since the anniversary of Kat’s father’s disappearance and everything Pipper had done to help her through that day.  They had grown closer in a way that Kat would have found difficult to explain if anyone asked and yet was completely welcome.  In fact, Kat was hoping that they could get even closer.

Which was why she was hoping to repay the favour Pipper had done her as best as she could.

She had learned through Pipper’s assistant Hessie that today was the anniversary of Pipper’s father’s death, something that Kat knew still affected Pipper greatly to this day, and she wanted to help make this day as painless as possible for Pipper.

And so Kat found herself at the market, picking up a few of Pipper’s favourites before heading over to Guildhall, where Pipper had apparently thrown herself into her work much more than necessary today.  She had picked up some of Pipper’s favourite fruits, tea, and a cake and was heading over to her bicycle when another stall caught her eye.

She picked up one other item with a smile, hopeful that Pipper would have the same reaction once she saw it.

 

Kat pulled up to Guildhall and parked her bike, pulling her purchases from the basket before hurrying inside.  She found Hessie quickly, catching her attention.  “How is she?”

“Much the same as she is every year.  Takes on every little task with an overly high penchant for detail, almost going overboard.  Really, she does anything to keep herself busy.”  Hessie sighed.  “Every year I try and pry her away from her desk but the earliest I’ve ever managed to get her to leave is nine in the evening.  I do hope you’ll have better luck.”

Kat gave her a reassuring smile.  “I hope so too.  But rest assured no matter the outcome, I have come armed and will try my best.”  She held up her purchases as she spoke.

Hessie nodded, “still though, good luck.”  With that she vanished into a meeting room.

Kat took a deep breath and entered Pipper’s office.

Pipper did not even glance up from the file on her desk as Kat came in and put the bags on the table in the sitting area of the office.  So, Kat walked around the back of Pipper’s desk, wrapping her arms around Pipper from behind her chair.  “You’re working too hard you know.”

Pipper put her pen down, leaning back in the chair and clasping Kat’s hands with her own.  “Says the girl who somehow manages to do everything with the absolute least amount of effort possible.”

Kat chuckled, “and that’s exactly how I know you’re working too hard.  Can I coax you away from this desk for a while?  I brought some of your favourite tea, fruit, and a cake.”

“Mhm, I could be convinced.  Maybe we could take it out on the balcony?”  Pipper tilted her head to look up at Kat.

“Absolutely.  I’ll fetch some hot water and be there in a moment.”  Luckily Kat knew that Hessie kept hot water at the ready, so she could fetch it at a moment’s notice, so she was able to grab that quickly and then she grabbed the bags and took them to the table and chairs that were set up on the balcony.

She got the tea steeping and then joined Pipper who was standing at the railing.  “It’s lovely out today, isn’t it?”  Pipper made a noncommittal noise.  “Want to talk about it?”

Pipper sighed.  “I just would have thought the pain would lessen by now.  Most of the time I’m fine, but this time of year stays the same.”

Kat took Pipper’s hand and gave it a squeeze.  “He was your father Pipper, it’s going to take time, and you’re allowed to hurt.”

“I just feel as though I’m betraying his memory by wanting the pain to go away, like I’m over it or something.”  A tear slipped down Pipper’s cheek.

“I think your father would want the pain to go away, for you to feel nothing but joy or content whenever you think of him.”  Kat paused.  “When my father first disappeared, Alfendi said something to me that really stuck.  He said that even if we never find Dad or if we never found him alive, that it was okay to be sad.  But that shouldn’t be the only emotion we focus on, instead we should focus on the emotions that the memories of him evoke – joy.”  She looked at Pipper.  “So that’s what I try to focus on, though as you know I still have my bad days, and you’re allowed to as well.”

Pipper gave her a watery smile, “your brother sounds like a smart man.”

“He has his moments.”  Kat brushed a tear from Pipper’s cheek.  “What do you say we have some tea, and maybe you could tell me about your father?”

Pipper’s smile widened, “I’d like that, I’d like that a lot.”

And so the two sat down for tea and Pipper spent the better part of the next hour telling Kat all about her father, Kat hanging on to every word.

Pipper was just finishing up a story about an encounter with a particularly persistent pigeon at the Riverside Festival one year when Kat reached into the final bag she had brought with her.  “This caught my eye at the market and I thought you might like it.”  She pulled out a box.  “It’s a music box.”

Pipper accepted it and wound it up before opening it, letting out a gasp as she did.

It depicted the legend of the Thames; the scene was etched out in oak and an old lullaby based on the legend drifted out of the box.  “My father used to sing this lullaby to me whenever I couldn’t sleep, he always loved the old legend.”

“I figured if the Riverside Festival was so important to you then the legend would be as well.  So, when I saw this box I couldn’t resist, I knew it was just perfect.”  Kat gave Pipper a hopeful look.  “Do you like it?”

“I love it.”  Emotion overcame Pipper as she looked at Kat and she reacted on impulse, yet did something she had been thinking of for a while.

She kissed Katrielle.

For a split second, Kat did not react, caught off guard by what was happening, but then she responded enthusiastically, moving so that she could pull Pipper closer to her as the kiss continued.

After a moment the pair broke apart, breathing heavily.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”  Pipper pulled back as she spoke, casting her eyes to the ground.

“And why not?”  Kat felt a pang of hurt in her stomach.

Pipper stood abruptly and walked over to the railing.  “You’re you and I’m me.  People will think you’re trying to leverage favour and I won’t be responsible for any damage to your reputation, especially when you’re still building it.”

“Then that’s their problem.”  Kat stood and joined Pipper, gripping her hand.  “You and I both know that’s not true, the people who matter most know that’s not true.  Who cares what everyone else thinks?  Besides why do you care about my reputation so much?  Yours as mayor is arguably more important.”

Pipper shook her head.  “I have fallbacks should my position as mayor not work out, what do you have if the agency doesn’t work out?”

Kat shrugged, “I’d figure something out.  Maybe there would be something at the yard, maybe I’d be able to freelance on a more unofficial basis.  But that’s not what this is about, is it?”  She studied Pipper’s face as she spoke, looking for her reaction.

No reaction.  “I’m older than you.”

Kat scoffed, “by little more than six years.  We’re both in our twenties, we both have careers, even if I’m not completely settled in mine yet.  We’re not that different, age is hardly a matter.”  There was no reaction from Pipper other than the single tear that slid down her cheek.  “Pipper, it’s okay to be scared you know.”

“I’m not scared.”  Kat was not sure if Pipper was trying to convince her or herself.

“Feeling scared isn’t a weakness, Pipper.  It shows that what’s going on is real, that what you’re feeling is real.”  Kat swallowed back the tears threatening to fall.  “I’m scared too.  But I want this, so much.  And I think you do too.”

Silence came over the pair for a moment.  “I am scared,” Pipper finally said quietly.  “And I do want this, more than words can describe.”

“Then what’s stopping us?”

“I don’t know actually.”  The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.  They sobered after a few minutes, wiping tears from both their eyes.  “So, what now?”  Pipper asked.

“I do believe we seal this with a kiss, what about you?”  Kat gave her a flirtatious grin.

“Yes, I do believe that’s the proper etiquette.”  Pipper wrapped her arms around Kat’s waist and pulled her close, catching her lips in a sweet kiss as Kat’s own arms snaked around her neck.

“So how do you feel now?”  Kat asked as they broke apart.

Pipper smiled, “couldn’t be more perfect.”

“In that case maybe I could convince you to leave?  I’ll cook us dinner.”  Kat gave Pipper a hopeful smile.

“I think getting out of here is a fantastic idea.”

 

Hessie watched the pair leave and took a look at her watch.  5:26 – a new record, Kat had done what Hessie had thought to be the impossible.

She smiled as she watched the two make their way down the street, arm-in-arm.  Looks like Katrielle Layton was a good influence on their good mayor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, I headcanon Pipper as fairly young as you can infer from the first chapter and I also don't see Kat as being someone who takes age differences as that much of a concern (unless they really are hugely different) cause we all know Kat - if she wants something she just goes for it
> 
> Lowkey, if you're interested in my Pipper headcanons: http://pipperlowonida.tumblr.com/post/176921039676/dearingsattler-hi-im-just-gonna-ramble-about
> 
> Also no new chapter tomorrow as I am busy all day, sorry!


	5. Clues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pipper sends Katrielle on a wild goose chase for her birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about skipping two days guys! I ended up hurting my back Thursday night so yesterday was a bit rough between that and the lack of sleep. On the bright side, today's chapter is the longest yet to make up for it!
> 
> Today we have Kat's birthday accompanied by Pipper's scheming

Today was going to be perfect and Pipper was going to settle for nothing less.

It was Katrielle’s birthday, and though they had only been together a few weeks, Pipper was determined to go all out.  She had learned from Ernest that Kat’s birthday had been a very quiet affair since the disappearance of her father, and Pipper wanted to change that, to make Kat’s birthday a day to celebrate again.

She put the finishing touches on the party room and took a step back, admiring her work as she brushed off her hands.  The room was perfect, and the guests would be arriving soon.

Now all that was left, was Katrielle.

 

The morning had started off the same as any other.

Kat had gotten up and gone through the usual morning routine.  She had gotten out of bed, washed her face, brushed her teeth, gotten dressed for the day and was watering the plants when Ernest came into the room with a tray.

“Ah, Miss Layton!  I have prepared your favourite breakfast to celebrate this most joyous day.”  He set the tray with the tea and pastries down on the table.

Sherl groaned from his bed.  “And what makes today so special Pinstripes?”

“Why it’s Miss Layton’s birthday of course.”

“Well I’ll be, happy birthday Kat.”

“Thanks, Sherl, Ernest.”  Kat distractedly picked up a pastry as she spoke, more focused on the paper in her hand than anything else.

“Erm, Pinstripes?” Sherl was not sure how to react.

Ernest sighed, “it’s been like this as long as I’ve known her.  According to her brother it’s been like this pretty much since their father disappeared.” 

Sherl glanced at Kat, who seemed to have not heard a word of what was just said.  “How do we cheer her up?”

“I’ve never figured out how,” Ernest rubbed the back of his neck.  “I’ve tried a great number of things over the past couple years I’ve known her but nothing ever seems to have worked.”

“Well then, what do we try next?”

This time, Ernest smiled as he heard the door to the agency open.  “This year, we leave it up to Pipper.”

“Kat?  You ‘ere?”  Came Inspector Hastings’ booming voice.

Kat stood to greet him.  “Inspector Hastings, how can I help you?”

“First of all, ‘appy birthday Kat.” Kat hummed in response.  “Secondly, I am sorry to bother you today of all days, but I ‘ave a case for you.”

“No worries, we are open today after all.  What’s the case?”

“Don’t know much, if I’m bein’ ‘onest.  Mayor Lowonida sent it along and really all there was, was this clue.”  He handed Kat a folded piece of paper.

“Well if Pipper sent it, it must be important.  I’ll get on it right away.”

“I’ll let ‘er know, thanks Kat.”  With that, Inspector Hastings took his leave.

“Well today has certainly gotten a lot more interesting, let’s see what this has to say, shall we?”  Kat’s demeanour had suddenly become much more cheerful as she opened the piece of paper to reveal a riddle:

_An old legend is what started this all  
Head to the place where she took a great fall_

“Legend?  Fall?  What kind of case is this?”  Sherl asked.

“Not sure yet, guess we’ll just have to follow the clues.”  Kat shrugged.  “We best get going – next stop, the Thames!”

 

The phone rang.  “Lowonida residence.”

_“It’s Inspector Hastings, Kat’s gotten started on the clues.”_

“Perfect.  I’m sure I’ll be seeing you and Felicity soon then.”

_“Just heading home to pick her up and then we’ll be there.”_

“Good, if there’s one thing you and I both know, it’s that Katrielle will make quick work of those clues.”

Laughter.  _“That she will.  Well I’ll be seeing you soon.”_

Pipper hung up with a smile, her plan was working perfectly.

 

“Okay, this is the spot the legend depicts as where the girl jumped into the river after her lover.”  Kat looked around.  “There must be another clue around here somewhere.”

“Kat, doesn’t this seem like a wild goose chase to you?”

“Now now Sherl, Pipper wouldn’t send us on something if it wasn’t important.”  She examined the railing as she spoke.  “Now help us out and look for the next clue, the sooner we find it the sooner we can solve the case and get back to Pipper.”

“Found it!”  Came Ernest’s excited voice.  He was on all fours, pulling something underneath the bench.  “It was taped to the bottom of the bench,” he said as he stood up and handed the paper to Kat.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Sherl muttered.  Kat opted to ignore him, reading out the next clue instead:

_Next is a place that is not short of bread  
To get some of your favourites is where you next should head_

“This is getting more bizarre by the second,” Sherl grumbled.

On the contrary Sherl, things are starting to fall into place.”  Kat compared the two pieces of paper.

“They cannot possibly!”

Ernest laughed, “haven’t you learned to trust Miss Layton’s instincts by now?  Where are we heading next?”

“Lipski’s patisserie.”

Ernest and Sherl’s jaws both dropped.  “We were just at Chancer Lane!” Sherl protested.

Kat shrugged, “and now we’re going back.  Come along!”  She started heading back in the direction they came.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re in for a long day?”  Sherl sighed.  “What do you know about this, Pinstripes?”

“The purpose, but not where we’re going each time.”  Ernest ran a hand down his face.  “Remind me to have a word with Ms Lowonida later.”

 

A few hours later saw Ernest and Sherl collapsed on a bench in exhaustion as Kat read the next clue.  They had been back to Chancer Lane, to Scotland Yard, to the wharf, the Saveloy, and now they were in Bowlyn Hill.

“Looks like our next stop is Guildhall,” Kat bounced off, as energetic as ever.

“Thank goodness,” Ernest muttered to Sherl.  “One thing I do know is that Guildhall is where the last clue is.”

“Then we better go.  The sooner we get there, the sooner this is over.”  Sherl hopped off the bench and dragged himself after Kat.

The group arrived at Guildhall where they found Hessie Tate on the front steps.  “Miss Layton!  Uh, I have a message for you.”  She handed Kat yet another folded piece of paper.

“Ah, this must be the next clue.  Thank you, Hessie.”

“Of course.  Oh, and might I say, happy birthday Miss Layton.”

“Thank you,” Kat glanced up at the building.  “Tell me, is Pipper in?”

“I’m afraid not.  Er, in fact, I best be heading in as I’m, uh, supposed to be holding down the fort.”  Hessie gave them a nod and then disappeared into the building.

Kat sighed, having hoped to see Pipper, and opened the paper:

_From the balcony you can hear the morning crow  
Even ducks keep their houses all in a row_

“Aha!”  Kat exclaimed.  “I should have known she was behind all this.  Off to Pipper’s we go.”

“That was the most cryptic clue yet, yet you solved it the fastest?”  Sherl gave her an incredulous look.

Kat shrugged.  “Wasn’t that hard.  Pipper told me recently about a particularly loud crow that has made its nest in a tree next to her balcony at home, and houses in a row – millionaire’s row.  Off we go!”

 

Compared to the rest of the homes on millionaire’s row, the Lowonida residence was quite humble.  It was still sizeable relative to the average home, but it was smaller than any other home on the street.

And it was dark when the group arrived.

“Huh, that’s strange.”  Kat ran a had through her hair.  “I could have sworn this was where the last clue was referring to.”

“I wouldn’t fret yet, Miss Layton.  There appears to be a note taped to the front door.”  Ernest pointed out.

“So there is.”  Kat went and peeled it off the door.  She opened it.  “All it says is ‘Enter.’”  She looked to the door and paused.

“Well are we going in or not?”  Sherl griped.

“I guess so.”  Kat pushed the door open and the group entered into the dark hallway.

“Look, there’s a light coming from somewhere upstairs.”  Ernest pointed to where there was a soft light glowing.  The group moved towards where the light was coming from, coming across a slightly ajar door and pushing it open –

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATRIELLE!”

Kat was taken aback as she observed the room in front of her.  The room was beautifully decorated, complete with music and an extensive table of food.  And it was full of people she knew; the Dragons, several people from Guildhall and Scotland Yard, other residents of Chancer Lane, and a variety of other people she had met over the course of her detective work.

And of course, Pipper’s smiling face, front and centre.

“Wow, I don’t know what to say.”  Kat felt herself get overcome with emotion.

“Well that’s a first,” came Inspector Hastings booming voice and suddenly everyone found themselves laughing.

Kat went to cross the room and was met halfway by Pipper, who pulled her into a tight embrace.  “I assume you’re the one who organized all this.”  Pipper hummed a confirmation.  “Thank you.”  Kat’s voice was thick with emotion.

Pipper pressed a quick subtle kiss behind Kat’s ear.  “For you, darling, anything.”  She broke the hug but kept an arm around Kat as she turned to address the group.  “Now what are we all standing around for? Let’s get this celebration started!”

 

Several hours later Pipper was leaning against the railing of the balcony, swirling a glass of wine and observing Kat.  She still was not sure why Kat always seemed so distant on her birthday, but the mission had been to make her happy, to make her birthday something to celebrate.

She watched Kat mingle with the remaining guests, a smile on her face that had been there the entire evening.  She took a sip of the wine and smiled, looks like her plan had been a success.

Kat finished saying goodbye to the Lipski brothers before heading out to the balcony, having noticed Pipper go out there a few minutes previously.  She put her own glass down on the small table that was there and leaned on the railing next to Pipper.  “How on Earth did you manage to pull this together?”

“You know me, always one for a party.”  Kat raised an eyebrow.  “Okay, I had a little help from Ernest and Inspector Hastings on this one.”

Kat chuckled, “remind me to thank them later.”  She offered Pipper a hand.  “But first, will you do me the honour of a dance, milady?”

Pipper put her glass down on the table and accepted Kat’s hand. “Of course.”  The two began swaying across the balcony to the soft music floating out the door.

“You can ask you know,” Kat said after a minute.  Pipper gave her a confused hum.  “About what happens to me on my birthday.  I know you must be curious.”

“I am,” Pipper admitted.  “But I didn’t want to push.”

“It’s okay.”  Kat paused, turning Pipper under her arm before pulling her close again.  “I was ten when my father disappeared.  Obviously not old enough to be on my own but Flora was already in America and Alfendi was deemed unfit to take care of me.”

“I spoke to Alfendi by the way.  He said he was tied up with a case and unable to make it, but he sends his love and will call you soon.  He sounded like an alright person, why was he deemed unfit?”

Kat bit her lip.  “Let’s just call that a story for another day.  But the result was that I ended up in the foster care system.  I was one of the lucky ones really.  I only ever spent time in one home, and they were nice people.  They took care of me, made sure I had what I needed, but there was never really an emotional bond.  Al always made sure to see me on my birthday, but it just never felt the same once Dad was gone, like no one really cared.”

Pipper felt her heart break as Kat spoke.  She reached a hand up and brushed a lock of hair behind Kat’s ear before resting it on her cheek.  “Proper care is more than just one’s physical needs.  I wish I could change that part of your past, but I sadly cannot.  What I can tell you though is that everyone here today cared.  Everyone in this room came because they wanted to celebrate you.”  She brushed a single tear away with her thumb.  “I can’t change the past, but I can assure you those days are over.”

Somewhere along the line they had stopped swaying and were just standing in the middle of the balcony.  Kat met Pipper’s eye, her own glistening, before throwing her arms around Pipper’s neck.  “Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to have you in my life?”

Pipper wrapped her own arms around Kat’s waist, and laughed.  “Once or twice, but it’s always nice to hear.”

“Seriously, today was perfect.  Ernest had his reservations and Sherl thought it was a wild goose chase, but really I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Something clicked in Pipper’s mind.  She took a step back, putting her hands on Kat’s shoulders.  “Wait a moment, _Sherl_ thought it was a wild goose chase?  Do you mean to say all those times I could have sworn I heard that dog talk he actually did?”

Kat’s eyes brightened.  “Oh, you can hear him too?  He can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but I love having him around.  Actually, figuring out his origins is one of my ongoing cases, he appears to have total amnesia.”

Pipper’s eyes widened.  “Wait, what?  You mean to say not everyone can hear him?”

Kat shrugged.  “Nope, only some people.  Ernest and I can both hear him, and now apparently so can you.”  Pipper just stared at Kat, eyes impossibly wide.  “Pipper?  You okay?”

“A dog.  That can talk.  With total amnesia.  And only some people can hear him.”

“Yes?”

Pipper shook her head.  “God, I need a drink.”

Kat burst out laughing, fetching Pipper’s drink from the table and handing it to her.  She promptly downed it.  “If it helps, Ernest looked like he was going to faint the first time he heard Sherl.”

Pipper coughed as the alcohol made its way down her throat.  “Surprisingly, it does.”  She coughed again.  “Tell me, is it just you who attracts strange things, or does it run in the family?”

Kat shrugged.  “Runs in the family.  In fact, Sherl is probably the least strange thing that’s ever happened to anyone in my family.”

“Well, guess I’m in for a wild ride then.”  Pipper smiled at Kat.  “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kat stepped forward and gave Pipper a gentle kiss.  “I’m glad.  Because I’ve got this client coming in tomorrow who wants me to find the people who are apparently determined to kidnap his tap-dancing monkey.”

Pipper blinked.  “Okay, why does this man have a tap-dancing monkey?  And why would someone want to kidnap said tap-dancing monkey?”

“Guess we’ll have to find out.”  Another shrug.

Pipper laughed.  “I look forward to hearing all about it.”  She pulled Kat in for another kiss and the two rested their foreheads against each other, giggling.

 

Meanwhile, inside the party room, Inspector Hastings, Emiliana, and Ernest were observing the two women out on the balcony.

“So, when do you think they’ll actually tell us what’s going on between ‘em?”  Inspector Hastings asked the group.

“I’ve tried to get Miss Layton to tell me, but she’s unusually tight-lipped about it.  I figure she’ll say something when she’s ready.”  Ernest smiled at the sight of Pipper and Kat laughing together.

“They’ve been obvious since before they even got together but I doubt they’ll admit to it anytime soon.  We might have to hint that we know before they tell us.”  Emiliana adjusted her glasses.

“Guess we’ll just ‘ave to wait and see then.”  Inspector Hastings glanced out at the balcony again.  “In the meantime, I’m just ‘appy to see ‘em so ‘appy.”

More laughter floated in from the balcony and Ernest raised his glass in a toast.  “I’ll drink to that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried with Inspector Hasting's accent, I probably didn't succeed, it's a hard one
> 
> Anyway, there SHOULD be a new chapter tomorrow but I won't promise just in case


	6. Snapshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A casual night in leads to a familial discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah, I missed yesterday. Sorry guys, my back's been a mess and it just didn't happen. I'll try and be better, I promise!
> 
> Today we have date night feat. a discussion on family

Katrielle finished tying the bow into her hair and took a step back, smoothing the grey and white plaid mini dress she was wearing and taking in her appearance.  She was admittedly nervous about tonight, it was not her first date with Pipper, but this was the first time that she would be going to Pipper’s for the evening rather than the pair spending an evening out on the town.  She pulled at her sleeves, both elated and apprehensive about this evening’s plans.

“You look just fine Kat, what are you worrying about?”  At some point Sherl had wandered into the room and was observing Kat’s nervous fidgeting.

“Oh, nothing.”  Kat brushed off the concern.  “Are you alright here on your own?”

“I’m going with Pinstripes for the night, he seems to think a change of scenery will do me well.”  Sherl rolled his eyes.  “Not sure why he thinks that, but he was quite insistent on it.  Anyway, no need to get back so you can stay out as late as you want.”

“Did he?  Well, that was nice of him.”  She looked over her shoulder at Ernest who had just appeared in the doorway.  “Though I’m not sure what he thinks is going to happen.”

“I just thought you might like a bit of time to yourself for a change.”  Ernest took a step into the room.  “I must say, you do look lovely Miss Layton.”

“Thank you, Ernest.”  Kat glanced at the clock above her desk.  “Oh!  Look at the time, I must be going.  Are you okay to lock up?”

“Of course, Miss.  Have a wonderful evening and do say hello to Pipper for me.”

“Will do.  Have a good night you two.”  Kat picked up her bag and hurried out of the agency.

“So, Pinstripes, what exactly do you think is going to happen tonight?”  Sherl gave him a look that Ernest had learned to equate with a human raising an eyebrow.

“I just wanted her to feel free to stay late at Pipper’s considering they have no closing time to contend with.”  He glanced down at Sherl.  “And just what do _you_ think is going to occur?”  Sherl said nothing.  “That’s what I thought.  Now come on, let’s lock up.”

 

Kat walked up to the front door of the Lowonida residence, taking a deep breath to try and calm her racing heart before ringing the doorbell.  For goodness sake, she was a grown adult, not some wide-eyed school girl.

A slightly frantic looking Pipper opened the door a few seconds later.  Kat’s eyes widened as she took in Pipper’s appearance: hair half pinned up, shoeless, blazer missing.  She felt her stomach flutter knowing that she was likely the only person to ever see Pipper in this state.  “Goodness, are you okay Pipper?”

“I’m so sorry Katrielle!”  Pipper ushered her in as she spoke.  “Something came up at the office and I’m running behind, in fact I only just got home.  I haven’t even gotten myself in order, forget managed to make dinner.”  She pouted adorably.

Kat giggled, giving Pipper a quick kiss.  “Don’t worry about it, we’ve got all the time in the world.  Why don’t you finish getting ready and then we can cook together?”

Pipper smiled gratefully as her mind processed what Kat just said.  “Wait, don’t you need to get home to Sherl before too late?”

Kat shook her head.  “He went with Ernest for the night.  Apparently, Ernest seems to think that Sherl needs a change of scenery and that I could use some alone time.  Curious that he would choose tonight.”  She shrugged nonchalantly.

Pipper felt heat rise in her cheeks.  “You know, for such a mild-mannered fellow Ernest can be a real devil sometimes.”

“To be fair, Ernest did try and exact revenge on you and the rest of the Dragons, this really is nothing compared to that.”  Kat pointed out.

“That might be true, but it just confirms him being a devil.”  Pipper paused thoughtfully.  “Still, remind me to thank him later.  Now why don’t you go pour us a glass of wine while I finish getting ready?  You know where the kitchen is.”

“Sounds wonderful.”  Kat gave Pipper a peck on the cheek before making her way to the kitchen while Pipper headed back upstairs.  She located a bottle of wine and two glasses, uncorked the bottle and was just pouring the wine into the glasses when Pipper walked in.  “That was quick.”

Pipper walked up behind Kat and wrapped her arms around her waist, kissing her neck.  “I didn’t want to keep you waiting.  Besides, it’s just us, I think a more casual night is in order.”

Kat turned so that she could see Pipper and saw that her hair was down and that she was wearing a simple, flowing teal dress that went to the knee.  Casual was definitely something she could get behind.  She grabbed the glasses of wine, passing Pipper hers and raising her own.  “Well here’s to casual nights in then.”  They tapped glasses and took a drink.  “Now, put me to work.  What are we making?”

Pipper laughed.  “Why don’t you get started on the salad while I get the entrée together?”  She started pulling ingredients out of the fridge.

Kat put her glass down and rolled up her sleeves.  “Sounds like a plan.”

 

A couple hours later the pair were just finishing up dinner out on the balcony, laughing as Kat told the story of her latest case.

“So I’m explaining to Mr. Montbeck everything that’s been going on behind his back and I just hear Ernest say ‘Erm, Miss Layton?’”  She put on her best Ernest voice.  “And I turn around and there’s a clown next to Ernest, attempting to beat him up with a balloon sword.”

“Oh my,” Pipper managed to get out between bouts of laughter.  “What on Earth did he do?”

“He just stood there.”  Kat giggled.  “You should have seen the look on his face, he had no clue how to react.  Luckily Mr. Montbeck sent the clown away, but I get the feeling poor Ernest has developed a mild fear of them now.”

“You really think so?”

“He was a little jumpy when we passed the clown tent on our way back out.  Can’t say I blame him, Alfendi always thought that all clowns were evil when we were younger.”  Kat shrugged.

“Not sure I’d go as far as evil, but I’ve definitely always found clowns creepy.”  Pipper stood and started collecting their plates.  “Now, how about dessert?”

Kat giggled, “don’t have to ask me twice.”

“Don’t I know it.”  Pipper laughed.  “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”  She disappeared inside the house and came back out a moment later, two dessert glasses in hand.  “I made this ahead of time, it’s a dark chocolate pot de crème.”  She took a bit on a spoon and held it out to Kat to taste.  “What do you think?”

Kat took the offered spoon in her mouth, savoring the chocolate flavour with a slight moan (Pipper felt her mouth go dry at the sound).  “Oh, this is amazing.  You really are a woman of many talents, aren’t you?”

Pipper broke her gaze away from where she had been very intently staring at the spoon and Kat’s mouth with a blush.  “Well what can I say?  I enjoy being able to impress my guests.”

“Well you have definitely impressed me.  I love the dark chocolate, such a rich flavour without being too sweet.”  Kat tucked into her dessert with gusto.

“Dark chocolate is something of a guilty pleasure of mine.”  Pipper took a bite of her own dessert.  “I keep it handy for when I’m stressed or just generally having a bad day.”

“Well in that case I’ll have to make sure to have some handy at the agency.”  Kat smiled at Pipper as she took another bite.  Pipper looked down at her own glass, a light blush covering her cheeks as she smiled.

 

As the evening wore on, the couple had made their way back inside and were now curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace.  At some point Kat had taken the bow out of her hair, letting it down, and both her and Pipper were now barefoot.  The bottle of wine was nearly empty and, coupled with the crackle of the fire, had left them both relaxed.

“We should do casual nights in more often,” Pipper said as she ran her fingers through Kat’s hair.

“I agree,” Kat snuggled further into Pipper, feeling her arm tighten around her.  She enjoyed the closeness for a moment longer before speaking again.  “Pipper, may I ask you something?”

Pipper’s fingers paused in Kat’s hair, her expression confused.  “Of course, what is it?”

“Looking around the room, I see plenty of photos of you and your father.  Makes sense considering how close you two were.”  Kat paused, glancing around the room.  “Yet, I see none of you and your mother.”  She looked at Pipper.  “Why is that?”  Pipper said nothing, her expression unreadable.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have -”

Pipper held up her hand to silence Kat.  “It’s fine, I should have known you would ask eventually.”  She took a deep breath.  Kat took her hand and squeezed it encouragingly.  “My mother passed a few days after I was born,” her voice was hardly above a whisper as she spoke.  “There were complications during the birth.  I was okay, but my mother lost a lot of blood.  They were able to stabilize her at first, but when she developed an infection it overwhelmed her body.”  Pipper’s voice broke.  “My father would talk about her a lot, telling me stories of when they were younger, how proud of me she would be, how -” Pipper took a shuddering breath and Kat squeezed her hand again.  “How much I reminded him of her, that I was the spitting image of her.  I often wondered how much it hurt him to even look at me some days.”

“Sounds like your father loved your mother very much,” Kat reached up and swept Pipper’s fringe out of her eye.  “I won’t lie, it likely did hurt some days looking at you, but I doubt your father would have traded you for the world, and that’s what truly matters.  You were his life, he loved you.  It’s tragic what happened to your mother, but I think your father was right in that she would be extremely proud of the woman you’ve become.”  She paused, thoughtfully.  “Tell me, do you have any old photos of your mother?”

Pipper smiled and opened the drawer in the table next to the couch.  “I keep this one here because it’s the most recent one of her I have, it was taken about a month before I was born.”  She handed Kat a photo of her parents gazing at each other, her mother clearly pregnant.

Kat chuckled.  “Your father was right, you really do look like her, you got his eye colour though.  I wish I could have met them.”

“I do too,” Pipper put the photo back in the drawer and pulled Kat against her again.  “May I ask something now?”

“Of course.”

“Why is it that you all brush me off whenever I ask about Alfendi?”

Kat bit her lip.  “Have you ever heard anything about Inspector Layton at Guildhall?  He works in the Mystery Room at Scotland Yard.”

Pipper thought for a moment.  “I’ve heard the occasional rumour, mostly that he’s brilliant but a bit of a madman.”

“I told you once that he was deemed unfit to care for me once Dad disappeared.”  Pipper nodded.  “He’s not a bad man by any means, but he has a temper and a morbid fascination with criminals.  His flat wasn’t exactly the sort of environment suitable for a child.”

Pipper raised an eyebrow.  “I know I’ve only spoken to him once and it was over the phone, but that was definitely not the sort of impression I got of him.”

“That’s because you spoke to the other version of him.  Placid Prof as Lucy, his assistant, refers to him as.  A few years after Dad disappeared he was on a particularly difficult case when he was shot.”  Pipper’s eyes widened as Kat spoke.  “He survived obviously, but he was in a coma for four months after it happened, and well, he developed a dissociative personality disorder.  Placid Prof fronts more often, he’s much calmer and generally more pleasant, but Potty Prof still comes out from time to time.”

“Wow,” was all Pipper managed to get out.

“Yeah, it was a bit of an adjustment at first.  Before the incident, all I knew was Potty Prof.  But I’ve gotten used to Placid Prof, it’s kind of nice having him around, but Potty Prof will always be the original Alfendi, you know?”  Kat looked down, playing with the hand Pipper had resting on her waist.

“So that’s why you all said it was a story for another day.”  Pipper shook her head.  “That was definitely not what I expected.  Still, I’d like to meet him some day.”

Kat relaxed unconsciously.  “I think that’s a great idea.”  She yawned, curling further into Pipper.

Pipper glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly midnight.  “Oh my, look at the time.  I think we’d best be getting to bed.”  Kat groaned at the idea of going home.  “You’re staying here of course, it’s much too late and we’ve had too much wine for me to feel comfortable with the idea of you biking home.”

“You sure?” Kat asked.  “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Not in the slightest,” Pipper reassured her.  “Now, I can make up a guest room if you would prefer, but I figured you would just sleep with me.” Kat startled, biting her lip and Pipper chuckled.  “Rest assured, there is nothing in mind other than sleep.”

Being able to curl up with Pipper for the night definitely had some appeal to Kat.  “Guess I’m bunking with you then.”  She yawned again.

Pipper giggled.  “Well come on then, sleepyhead.  Trust me, my bed is much more comfortable than the couch.”

Kat nodded.  “Hey Pipper?”

“Yeah?”

Kat gave her a slightly sleepy smile.  “Thanks.”

Pipper smiled widely, kissing Katrielle.  “Anytime darling, anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I doubt I'm going to work tomorrow with the weather forecast so I swear I will get a chapter up tomorrow!!
> 
> If not I give y'all permission to yell at me.


	7. Detract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A comment made by a councillor puts Pipper on edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary pretty much says all today. This one skirts an M rating a little bit - there is no actual sex but there is talk about sex

“And then he just starts talking over me.  Like excuse me, I am your superior, how dare you even have the audacity to talk over me, forget question my ability to do my job simply because I am a woman and because you think I’m ‘too young’ to possibly do a good job.  It’s not as though I had this position handed to me on a plate, I worked for it and the people of London voted me in.  So what if I made my way up the ladder faster than most, maybe it’s just a testament of how dedicated and good I am at my job.”  She flopped down on the bed next to Katrielle.  “He’s just, ugh, he’s so infuriating!”

Pipper had been ranting to Kat for the better part of the last quarter hour, Kat listening patiently from Pipper’s bed while Pipper stalked around her room, ranting about that day’s council meeting as she dressed down from the work day into something more casual.

“Well you shut him down, I assume.”  Kat brushed a lock of hair off Pipper’s cheek, leaning so that she could look down into Pipper’s face.

“Of course I did, but he still spent the rest of the meeting treating me with contempt.”  Pipper sighed.  “I shouldn’t let it get to me as much as I do, but this particular councillor just makes it so hard.”

“I think he’s just jealous.”  Pipper raised an eyebrow at her.  “You’re only 28 and yet you’re incredibly successful and the people love you.  He’s what?  Almost twice your age and only got voted in because the two more popular candidates ended up getting the vote split between them?  I think he tries to put you down in order to feel better about himself.”  Kat paused, stroking Pipper’s cheek.  “Also, you’re much prettier than he is, that won’t help the jealously.”

That last quip did the trick, Pipper perked up instantly and started laughing.  “Have I told you how wonderful you are lately?”

Kat smirked.  “Probably, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like hearing it.”

Pipper sat up and gave Kat a cheeky look.  “Well then, maybe I should show you this time.”

Kat did not have time to respond before Pipper gripped her shoulders and pulled her into a searing kiss.  It caught Kat off guard only for a second before she responded enthusiastically, putting her hands on Pipper’s waist and pulling her closer so that Pipper was straddling her lap.  Pipper tangled her hands in Kat’s hair, probing Kat’s lips with her tongue, seeking entry.  Kat granted her permission, hands gliding over Pipper’s back as they explored each other’s mouths.

Soon the pair found themselves laying down, Kat on her back and Pipper hovering over her as they continued their exploration of each other.  At some point Pipper had pushed the shrug Kat was wearing off her shoulders and Kat had released Pipper’s hair of its clip.  Pipper could not tell you how much time had passed, reality had floated away, and she was left only with Katrielle beneath her.  Until she felt Kat’s hands wander towards the button on her pants, then reality came crashing back.

“Stop, we should stop.”  Pipper pulled away panting, moving off of Kat and sitting up.

Kat sat up, confused.  “Were you not enjoying that?”

“No, no,” Pipper rushed to reassure Kat, smoothing her mussed hair.  “Trust me, I was enjoying that a lot, that was not at all the reason why I stopped.”

“Then talk to me, what was the reason?”  Kat put a hand on Pipper’s knee, rubbing it.

“Can we get a bit more comfortable first?”  Kat nodded and the two shifted to situate themselves against the headboard, Kat tucking Pipper under her arm.  “It’s just, where that was going, I do want to.  But I don’t think we should without talking about it first, we know nothing of each other’s histories at this point.”  She looked up at Kat.  “I promise you, nothing you can say will change the way I feel about you, but I just would feel more comfortable knowing that you know my history and I know yours.”

Kat nodded.  “That’s fair.  And you’re right, we should talk about that before taking our relationship to that level.  Might I go first?”  That seemed to surprise Pipper, but she nodded.  “Honestly, there isn’t much to tell.  There was this girl I knew when I was in school, we were both studying business, so we would study together.  After a while, studying turned into sleeping together.  We were quite inebriated the first time admittedly, but it continued for the rest of our time there.”  Kat watched Pipper as she spoke, gauging her reaction.  “Our relationship was never anything more than that though, it was mostly a stress release thing.  And then once I graduated I never saw her again.”

“There’s not been anyone else in the past couple years since her?”  Pipper asked.

Kat shook her head.  “Once I finished school, my sole focus was setting up the agency, I didn’t really have time for anything else.  Sex was the last thing on my mind even when I was stressed.”  She shrugged.

Pipper let that sink in before speaking.  “I had one girlfriend when in school.  We were together for only a few months before we broke up.  She felt as though I too focussed on school to really put a true effort into a relationship.”  She paused.  “You know, looking back, she wasn’t wrong.  I was more passive about that relationship than I should have been.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”  Kat swept a hand across Pipper’s forehead, brushing her fringe to the side.

“I was too focused on a singular goal to put a proper effort into a relationship.  I liked her company, and the sex was good, but she deserved better than what I was able to offer at the time.  So, for a while I turned to one-night stands.”  She grimaced.  “It wasn’t often, every few months at most.  I’d get a hotel room in a part of town where I wasn’t well known and then go to a nearby bar and find someone, usually male, and brought them back to my room.”  She refused to meet Kat’s eye as she spoke.  “It’s been a couple years since the last time I did that though.”

“What changed?” Kat asked softly.

“I-” Pipper sighed.  “I had a scare,” she admitted.  “Thought I was pregnant.  I wasn’t, but I couldn’t go through that again.  So, I stopped, haven’t taken anyone to bed in about two and a half years now.”  She looked up at Kat again.  “But then I met you.  And things changed again.  I was actually in a good place to be in a relationship, and I just couldn’t keep my mind off you, so I decided to do things properly this time.”

Kat kissed her forehead.  “Thank you for telling me that.  And I may not have any true relationship experience, but I do know I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”  Pipper beamed up at her.  “Tell me though, what is it this councillor said that really brought this on?”

Pipper winced, resisting the urge to bury her face in Kat’s side.  “I really can’t get anything past you, can I?”  Kat shook her head.  “He insinuated that I slept my way to the top, guess I just needed to feel in control of my own sexuality.”  She cast her eyes down in embarrassment.

Kat chuckled.  “I mean, I’m not complaining, but next time talk to me, okay?  That’s usually the best way to work through things.”

“Thank you,” Pipper’s voice was thick with emotion.

“Also, remind me to look into that councillor, I could probably find something that would get him out of office.”  There was a sparkle in Kat’s eye that only showed up when she was plotting something.

“Katrielle, no.”

“What?  All I have to do is a little bit of research, and then strategically start a rumour that the right people will hear.  They’ll do their proper investigation, and no one will have any idea I was involved.”  She chuckled again.  “Unless they ask me to investigate for them of course but trust me I can keep myself out of the rumour mill, they’ll be none the wiser.”

“Katrielle, no.”  Pipper repeated.  Kat pouted at her and Pipper rolled her eyes affectionately.  “I’m a big girl Kat, I can handle him.”

“I’m not saying you can’t, I know you can.  I’m just saying why should you have to?”  She shrugged.

Pipper smiled, brushing her fingers across Kat’s cheek.  “I appreciate it, I really do.  But he’s not worth it.  We’re less than two years away from the next election and his ward hates him, I doubt he’ll get voted in again.”

“Fine.”  Kat sighed dramatically.  “Guess I’ll stay out of it then.”

“Thank you, darling.”  Pipper smirked.  “I know how hard it is for you to not be nosy.”  She squeaked as Kat poked her in the side.  “Hey!”

“I’ll have you know, I am not that nosy.”  She poked a giggling Pipper in the side again.

“Believe what you need to,” Pipper said between giggles.  She shrieked as Kat attacked her sides with a barrage of tickles.  She slid down the headboard in an attempt to escape, only to have Kat pin her down with more tickles.  “Mercy!”  She finally cried out between bouts of laughter.

Kat ceased her attack in laughter, opting to instead attack Pipper’s face with a series of kisses as the two continued to laugh.

“I love you.”  Pipper’s eyes widened as she realized what she had just said.  “You don’t have to -” she went to reassure Kat before she was cut off with a kiss.

“I love you too.”  Kat kissed Pipper gently, putting as much emotion into it as she could.  “Now, what do you say we order in and have a nice relaxing evening?”  She said once she pulled away.  “I think we’ve both had enough excitement for one day.”

Pipper smiled at Kat.  “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.  But first, can we just lie here for a bit?”

Kat nodded and snuggled down next to Pipper.  “Sounds perfect to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, I might skip tomorrow/possibly the next day as I'm working on something else for another ship (but still femslash cause it is femslash feb afterall), besides I've been thinking about spacing these out a bit more as I only have 9 more written chapters left so
> 
> See y'all next time!


	8. Rainfall (explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's raining outside and Kat and Pipper take the next step in their relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have our first explicit chapter. Not going to lie, this is my first real foray into writing smut so bear with me I can't attest to whether it's very good or not
> 
> I'm pretty sure you can guess by the rating/summary what's coming so here we go!

Pipper was determined that the night would go off without a hitch.

Admittedly, taking the afternoon off to prep for the evening had probably been overkill, but Pipper was nothing if not thorough in her planning and she wanted tonight to be special.  Not only did she want to show Katrielle just how much she loved and appreciated her – especially as the poor girl had been swamped at the agency recently and Pipper wanted her to feel pampered for a night – but she was hoping that they could take their relationship to the next level that night.

Pipper took a step back and admired her handiwork.  Dinner was already ready and in the oven to keep warm and she had just put the finishing touches on the balcony.  Everything was perfect for a romantic evening.  She took another second to admire the set-up before heading back into the house and up to her bedroom to finish getting ready.

 

Katrielle had not been this nervous since her first real date with Pipper.

Nor had she put this much thought into getting ready.  The first few times she had put a fair amount of thought into her outfit, but in the few months since then she had started to relax.  She still dressed nicely of course, but she and Pipper had both started dressing more casually.

Today though, she had spent an extra long amount of time in the shower, taking time to meticulously rub lotion into her skin and do her hair after, and was now standing in a dressing gown flipping through her wardrobe trying to figure out the perfect outfit to wear.

She tore away from her closet with a sigh, moving to open a drawer on her dresser.  She fingered a set of delicate lace lingerie she had bought on impulse recently.  It was a deep red, a colour that she knew Pipper loved on her.

“Daydreaming are you, Kat?”

Kat startled, slamming the drawer shut as she whirled around to see Sherl standing in the doorway.  “Don’t you know it’s rude to enter without knocking?  And since when do you know how to open doors?”

“Your door is broken, remember?  I tried to knock, and it just opened right up.”

Kat sighed, making a mental note to remember to lock her door until it could be fixed.  “Fair enough.  What is it, Sherl?”

“Just letting you know that Pinstripes and I are heading out for the night, so you’ll need to lock up.”

“Right,” Kat glanced at the clock, noting it was later than she thought.  “Thanks for going with Ernest by the way.”

“It’s not so bad.”  Sherl gave her a look.  “Besides, I get the feeling you’re not the only one who’s appreciative.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?”  Kat put her hands on her hips.

“Take it whatever way you want.”  Sherl turned to leave.  “See you tomorrow, Kat.”

Kat shut the door after him with a sigh, making sure to lock it.  That dog could be more trouble than he was worth sometimes.

Thankfully though, she knew exactly what dress to put on now.

 

Kat knocked on Pipper’s door an hour later and was greeted by the sight of Pipper opening the door in a form-hugging forest green dress, hair half pulled back in a clip.  “Well I can’t as though that’s a dress I’ve seen before.”

Pipper moved aside to let Kat in, glancing down at her dress.  “I actually just bought this one for tonight.”  She looked at Kat shyly, “do you like it?”

Kat closed the door behind her and then moved to kiss Pipper.  “I think it’s absolutely stunning.  Seriously, why don’t you wear dresses more often?”

“I prefer pants for work, I find it makes more of a statement.  But for evenings out – or in – and events I do like dresses.”  She shrugged.  “Besides, not all of us can manage feats like biking across town or jumping off bridges in a dress.”  She nudged Kat playfully.

“You just haven’t found the right dress to do that in,” Kat winked at her as she removed her jacket and hung it up.

“Speaking of the right dress, Kat, wow.”  That was all Pipper could manage as she looked at the dark grey dress Kat was wearing.  It was simple, but it highlighted her figure nicely and had a plunging neckline that had Pipper’s stomach doing flips.

Kat couldn’t help but laugh at Pipper’s slack-jawed expression.  “This old thing?  I’ve had it in my closet for ages, comes with a surprise though.”  She winked at Pipper who could do nothing but blink at her, still slack-jawed.  “Now, how about dinner?  I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.”

That snapped Pipper out of her reverie, and she shook her head with a laugh.  “You’re always hungry, darling.  But yes, dinner sounds excellent.”  She beckoned for Kat to follow her.

 

“You’ve really outdone yourself Pipper.”  Kat set her cutlery down on her empty plate.  “That salmon was divine.  Also, the candles were a nice touch.”

Pipper smiled at her.  “Thank you, I thought you would like the salmon.  Though,” there was a sparkle in her eye as she spoke, “it seems to me that there’s nothing you don’t like.”

“Wrong.  I despise brussel sprouts.”  Kat took a sip of wine with a shrug.

Pipper started laughing.  “You know, that is somehow the most you thing you could have possibly said.  Okay, no brussel sprouts, got it.”

Kat giggled and looked out over the darkened landscape with a content sigh.  “Hey, Pipper?”

“Yes, darling?”

“What is the root of your balcony thing?”

Pipper bit her lip thoughtfully.  “Well, I remember coming out onto the balcony as a child with my father to look at the stars, but truthfully it’s so much more than that.”  She paused, and Kat gave her an encouraging nod.  “To me, balconies are open, yet they’re private.  I can come out onto it and be completely alone despite being out an open space.  I can go out on my balcony at Guildhall and be alone for a moment, get away from the stress of the job, and see all the lights of the city and just remember why I do what I do.”  She looked out over the view.  “I guess I just find being out here freeing.”

Kat took her hand and squeezed it.  “I think that’s beautiful.”  She glanced up at the sky.  “There’s something about being outside that’s just so nice, but admittedly it’s nicer when the weather cooperates.”

Pipper gave her a strange look.  “What on Earth are you talking – _Oh_!”  She could not finish her thought before it started pouring with rain.  “Quick, let’s get everything inside!”

Kat started gathering stuff together with a laugh.  By the time the two had managed to take everything inside they were thoroughly drenched and laughing as they stood in the middle of the kitchen, hair dripping.

“Okay, in retrospect I should have checked the weather forecast before deciding on dinner on the balcony, my apologies.”  Pipper retrieved a couple of clean towels from a nearby closet for their hair as she spoke.

Kat just giggled, catching the towel Pipper tossed her.  “A little rain never hurt anyone, but we probably should get out of these wet clothes.”

“Agreed.”  Pipper beckoned for Kat to follow her and they headed up to Pipper’s bedroom.  “I know I have an extra set of loungewear here somewhere.”  She studied her closet, trying to remember where, wet dress causing her to shiver slightly.

“Let’s get you out of that wet dress before you catch a cold first.”  Kat brushed Pipper’s hair off the zipper of her dress, undoing the hook at the top.

Pipper’s breath caught in her throat.  “So, you’re a doctor now too, huh?”  She leaned into Kat’s touch, silently giving her permission to unzip her dress.

“Doesn’t take a doctor or a detective to know that wet clothing equals sickness.”  She slowly pulled the zipper down.  “Besides, you’re shivering, we need to get you warmed up.”  Kat whispered, her lips right next to Pipper’s ear. 

Pipper felt a shiver go down her spine that had nothing to do with the wet dress.  She slid the dress off her shoulders and allowed it to pool around her ankles, leaving her in nothing but a plain black bra and matching panties.  She felt Kat’s lips press against where her neck met her shoulder and couldn’t stop the light moan that escaped her own lips.

“Beautiful.” Kat whispered.

Pipper shivered again as Kat’s own wet dress pressed against her bare back.  “You’d best take off yours as well, no sense in you catching a cold either.”  She turned so that she was facing Kat, putting her arms around Kat’s shoulders, toying with the top button on Kat’s dress.  She nodded and Pipper made quick work of the buttons down Kat’s back and soon Kat’s dress was also on the floor.  Pipper made a choking noise.  “You weren’t joking when you said this dress came with a surprise.”  Her eyes roamed appreciatively over the dark red lace.

“Bought it with you in mind.”  Kat winked at her, sending a jolt between Pipper’s thighs.

Pipper said nothing, instead she surged forward, gripping Kat’s hips and kissing her deeply.  She pushed Kat backwards until the backs of her legs hit the bed and the two toppled over onto it.  Kat let out a small oof as her back hit the bed and Pipper giggled, moving to attack her neck as they situated themselves on the bed.

Pipper broke away after a moment, panting slightly.  “Before we let this go any further, I need to hear from you that you want this.  If you don’t, we can stop right now.”

Kat nodded, looking Pipper in the eye.  “I want this, so much.”  She pulled Pipper back down into a searing kiss, tangling her hands in her hair.

Pipper responded enthusiastically, slipping her hands under Kat’s back and deftly undoing her bra, removing it and tossing it somewhere in the room.  She broke away from Kat’s lips and moved down to take one nipple in her mouth, swirling her tongue around the bud as she kneaded the other with her hand.

“Oh fuck, Pipper.”  Kat moaned, back arching slightly.

Pipper chuckled.  “I’m pretty sure English gentlewomen aren’t supposed to swear.”

Kat groaned as Pipper’s fingers ghosted the waistband of her panties.  “Don’t care.”  She squirmed impatiently and Pipper pushed them down her legs, Kat kicking them off the rest of the way.

Pipper paused, taking a moment to admire a now fully naked Katrielle beneath her before delving down and leaving a series of nips along her collarbone, gliding a finger along Kat’s opening and feeling how wet she was.  She paused, seeking an okay from Kat before continuing.

“Please,” Kat said breathlessly and Pipper slid a single finger into Kat, her thumb quickly finding her clit.  She started pumping her finger in and out in a slow steady rhythm, thumb circling Kat’s clit.  Once she was sure Kat was adjusted, she added a second finger and started to slowly pick up speed.  Kat cussed softly as she felt herself nearing the edge.  Pipper felt Kat’s walls starting to tighten around her and applied more pressure to Kat’s clit, while simultaneously crooking her fingers to hit her g-spot, causing Kat to topple over the edge.

Kat moaned Pipper’s name as she rode out the waves of her orgasm, back arching fully off the bed.  “God, Pipper,” she panted.  “That was incredible.”

Pipper smirked.  “Well I do aim to impress.”

“Impress might be an understatement.”  As she spoke she quickly flipped them over so that Pipper was on her back.  “But now, it’s your turn.”  She caught Pipper in a kiss, quickly taking off her bra before moving to the pulse point on her neck.  Pipper moaned breathlessly as Kat cupped her through her panties, grinding down on Kat’s hand as best she could.

“A bit eager, I see.”  Kat said as she felt how drenched Pipper was.  Pipper just shifted again, seeking friction, and Kat giggled.  She slowly started moving down Pipper’s body, taking time to lavish her breasts and leave small bite marks on her hips as she went, before finally pulling Pipper’s panties down.

Pipper gasped as she felt Kat’s tongue probing her folds.  The gasp quickly turned to a moan as Kat set a pace with her tongue, delving it in as her nose bumping her clit rhythmically.  Pipper groaned at Kat picked up the pace, feeling her muscles begin to tighten.  Once she was right on the brink, Kat stopped pumping her tongue, instead latching her lips around Pipper’s clit and sucking.

Pipper _screamed_ as the world exploded around her, slowly coming back to herself as Kat’s tongue eased her through the aftershock.  Once she had come fully down, Kat grabbed one of the damp towels from earlier and used it to quickly clean them both up before pulling a blanket over them where they lay in a boneless heap.

“I should have known that Ms being-mayor-means-you-need-to-bury-your-emotions would be a screamer.”  Kat said after a moment had passed.

Pipper chuckled tiredly.  “And I should have known that Ms English-gentlewoman would be a swearer.”  She nudged Kat playfully.  “Though I have to admit, I’m usually not that loud.”

Kat gave her a cheeky grin.  “I aim to impress.”  Pipper nudged her again.  “Kidding aside, I never realized just how much better that could be when there’s actual emotion involved.”

“Honestly, I didn’t either.”

Kat’s grin returned.  “So that’s why you were so loud.”  This time Pipper poked her in the side as they descended into a giggle fit, Pipper rolling over so she could kiss Kat.

“Hey Kat?”  Pipper said after they settled back down.

“Yeah?”  Kat yawned.

“I love you.”

Kat smiled sleepily.  “I love you too,” she managed to say before drifting to sleep.  Pipper tucked a lock of hair behind Kat’s ear, placing a kiss on her forehead before drifting off herself.

A far cry from previous relationships, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pipper is the ultimate dork and you cannot convince me otherwise
> 
> Anyway, another chapter tomorrow to make up for the gap we just had and then every other day until the 27th which will bring me up to everything that I've written posted. Hopefully I'll write more fairly soon - might just need to replay the game first to reconnect with my muse lol
> 
> See y'all tomorrow!


	9. Fog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katrielle is no stranger to nightmares even if this is the first time Pipper's experienced her having one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly at this point it's getting hard to tell if people are actually enjoying this but I will continue to post since it's written
> 
> Today features the same nightmare from the beginning of millionaire's conspiracy (cause it definitely seems like a recurring one) and Pipper the sap

_London was shrouded in fog, obscuring the figure in the distance that a young Katrielle was running after.  She called after him, but he didn’t seem to hear her, continuing to walk away from her as the fog grew ever thicker.  Eventually she slowed, the fog growing impenetrable, blocking her father completely from view and encasing her completely –_

Katrielle awoke with a gasp, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes as she tried to regulate her breathing.

Pipper stirred beside her.  “Kat?  You okay?”  She propped up on her elbows, blinking the sleep out of her eyes, and took in the sight of a tearful Katrielle.  “Oh, sweetheart.”  She laid back down and pulled Kat against her chest, wrapping her arms around her tightly.  The light whimpers that Kat had not been able to hold back turned into full blown sobs as Pipper rocked her soothingly, humming softly.

Kat’s sobs subsided after a few moments, a final few stray tears falling which Pipper gently brushed away with her thumbs.  “You want to talk about it?”  She asked softly.

Kat did not respond for a minute, Pipper was just about to reassure her that she did not have to when Kat finally spoke.  “It’s always the same.  I’m ten years old again, running after Dad.  But the fog is just so thick, and it get’s thicker and thicker until I can’t see him anymore and then it just swallows me.”  The tears threatened to fall again.

Pipper tucked a lock of hair behind Kat’s ear and stroked her cheek comfortingly.  “I know you probably don’t want to, but would it help to talk about the day your father disappeared?”

Kat sighed.  “You’re right, I don’t really want to talk about it.  Truth is I never have.  Which is probably why it’s a good idea to.”  She chuckled humourlessly.  “Who knows, maybe it will actually help the nightmares.”

Pipper stroked Kat’s hair again.  “It doesn’t have to be right now if you don’t want it to.”

Kat shook her head.  “Honestly, now’s as good a time as it’s going to get, but I don’t want to keep you up, not when you have back to back meetings tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry about me darling, you’re more important.”  She grinned, “besides, that’s what coffee is for.”

That did the trick and Kat relaxed against her with a light giggle.  “I’ll make a believer out of you yet.”

“Hey now, I do enjoy a good cup of tea, coffee is just better for keeping you awake.”  She chuckled as Kat gave her a disbelieving look.

“Mhmm, right.”  Kat rolled her eyes.  “Like I said, I’ll make a believer out of you yet.”  They giggled softly for a moment before falling silent again. “It started out like any normal day.”  Kat finally said after a pause.

Pipper tightened her grip on Kat slightly.  “Describe it to me.”

“I got up and ready for school while Dad made breakfast.  We couldn’t always have dinner together because of his work so he made of point of us having breakfast together every morning.  We would talk about school, what he had going on at work.”  She smiled slightly.  “Most mornings he would have a puzzle for me, that morning was no exception.  I remember he gave me the puzzle and told me about someone who was coming in that morning who had something he wanted him to examine while I solved it.  I thought nothing of it at the time, there was nothing unusual about that happening.”

“He is a topmost figure in the field of archaeology so that would make sense.  But what do you mean you thought nothing of it at the time?”  She squeezed Kat’s arm encouragingly.

“It seemed like business as usual, but I wonder now if whatever it was had to do with him disappearing.  I just wish I had paid more attention to what he was saying at the time.”  Tears glistened in her eyes again.

“How were you to know?”

Kat sighed.  “I know, but I still wonder.  I didn’t realize anything was amiss until after school.”  Her voice cracked as she spoke.

Pipper shushed her gently, rocking her as she regulated her breathing, choking back tears.  She waited until Kat had relaxed again before asking, “What happened after school?”

“Dad wasn’t home when I got home.”  She started with a slight shrug.  “Wasn’t unusual either, he often worked late.  Whenever that happened, I was instructed to go to Gressenheller and wait in his office.”

“But he wasn’t there.”  Pipper guessed.

Kat shook her head.  “Not that that was uncommon either, I figured he was in a meeting.  So I grabbed a snack from his drawer and settled down on the couch to do my homework.  Guess I fell asleep after a while.  I didn’t realize how much time had passed until Rosa noticed the light was still on a few hours later, came in and found me.”

“What happened then?”

“She was quieter than usual I remember noticing.  She ushered me out and brought me back to her place for the night.  It had happened a couple times before, I figured that meant Dad had gone to an excavation site out of town for a couple of days.”  Her voice started to shake slightly, and she paused to take a deep breath.  Pipper dropped a kiss to the top of her head, nuzzling her hair in a silent comfort.  “Truthfully I didn’t realize anything was going on until child protective services showed up the next day.  And even then, it wasn’t until they introduced me to my ‘new family’ that I realized that Dad -” Kat could not finish the sentence as she choked on fresh tears.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything else.”  Pipper brushed the tears from Kat’s cheeks.  “What you went through, for a ten-year-old that’s traumatic.  No one should have to go through that, especially with the knowledge that there’s family out there who you cannot be with.  Can I ask you something?”  Kat nodded.  “What role did Alfendi play during this time?”

Kat sighed.  “I mean, I saw him of course, but always under supervision which I didn’t understand at the time.  Now I think they didn’t want him to take me somewhere where they couldn’t find us.  But even with his regular visits, I didn’t feel as though I had a home anymore.  I had a place to stay and people to take care of me, but it just wasn’t home.”

“Do you still feel that way?”  Pipper asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.

“Not anymore.  When I started the agency that helped, I had a place that was my own, a place where I could just be me and do what I loved, but I still had my moments.  That changed when I met you though.”  She looked up at Pipper hesitantly.  “I guess home sometimes is more a person than a place.  I didn’t feel at home before because Dad wasn’t there, but now I feel at home with you.  Does that make sense?”

Pipper said nothing, instead tilting her head down so she could kiss Kat softly.  “That makes perfect sense.  It also reminded me of something.”  She untangled herself from Kat with another quick kiss on her forehead before getting up and leaving the room.  She came back a moment later with a glass in one hand and something clasped in the other.  She handed the glass to Kat who quickly realized it was water.  “First, drink this, you need to stay hydrated.”

Kat obliged, draining half the glass before speaking.  “What’s in your other hand?”

Pipper giggled.  “You mean to say Ms World Class Detective hasn’t solved that puzzle yet?”  She squeaked as Kat poked her in the side.  “Okay okay, here you go.”  She opened her hand to reveal a key sitting on her palm.

Kat gasped lightly, taking the key.  “Is this what I think it is?”

Pipper nodded.  “I thought it was time for you to have a key of your own.  You’re not just a guest, you’re my girlfriend, my partner.  You belong here, and I wanted to make sure you knew that.”  She chuckled.  “You know, I had this whole elaborate plan for how I was going to give it to you, but somehow this is so much better.”

Kat lunged forward, throwing her arms around Pipper’s neck.  “Thank you.”

Pipper wrapped her arms around Kat’s waist, squeezing her gently.  “Of course, you are home after all.”  Kat squeezed her harder, stifling a yawn.  Pipper chuckled.  “We should probably get some sleep if either of us wishes to be functional tomorrow.”

Kat pulled back and nodded, yawning again.  “You’re probably right.”  She laid back down, settling on her side with Pipper spooned up against her, arm around her waist.  “Love you.”

Pipper kissed the back of her head.  “Love you too.”  With that, the two quickly dozed off.

Kat slept soundly the rest of the night.  And if Pipper was half asleep through all her meetings the next day, it was completely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And again, Pipper is the ultimate dork
> 
> Also I totally cannot count and have more chapters left than I thought so at this point I'll update whatever days I can until they're done. Definitely going to post tomorrow, definitely cannot post Tuesday, we'll see after that


	10. Interrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hessie gets more than she bargained for and the colleagues find out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day another chapter
> 
> Today we embark on the journey of Pipper and Katrielle telling everyone about them after The Incident as Pipper calls it. This chapter ranks a mature rating due to one brief moment but it really isn't anything explicit

Rumours had been flying around Guildhall.

Admittedly that was partially their own fault.  Katrielle was around more often than would be considered normal if she was just popping in to utilize available resources for her investigations.  Not to mention that she spent far too much time in Pipper’s office for that to be the case, and many Guildhall employees had started to notice that fact.

Of course, it did not help that many an employee had seen them touching in ways that, while innocent in nature, were much too intimate to be between two people who were just friends.

Then there was what Pipper had taken to referring as The Incident.

 

It had been a long day.

Pipper sighed, putting the file in front of her down, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple, trying to will the building headache away.  She was just contemplating giving up for the evening and heading home when Katrielle walked into her office.  She opened her eyes and was greeted with an unusual sight.

Kat was wearing pants.

“You really are working too hard you know, I saw no one else still here on my way in.”  She said as she made her way to Pipper’s desk.  Pipper hardly heard her though as she took in the sight of the pants that were hugging Kat’s hips, highlighting the curve of her ass and the shape of her legs perfectly.

She had not even realized that Kat owned pants, but by God was she not complaining.

She snapped out of her reverie, looking up at Kat who was watching her, one eyebrow raised.  “Why don’t we go out onto the balcony?”  Pipper finally said, standing up.  Kat followed her out onto the balcony silently.

Pipper closed the door behind them before turning and pining Kat against the wall.  “Do you have any idea what the sight of you in those pants is doing to me?”

Kat smirked.  “Wasn’t my intention when I put them on this morning, but I can’t say I’m complaining.  I do enjoy getting you all flustered.”

“You little minx.”  Pipper surged forward, catching Kat in a near-bruising kiss, deftly undoing the button on Kat’s pants, lowering the zipper.  Her lips moved to tease the sensitive spot behind Kat’s ear, Kat moaning softly in her own ear as she slid her hand into Kat’s pants, fingers quickly finding her clit, circling it slowly –

The balcony door opened.  “Mayor Lowonida?  I have a few forms – _Oh!_ ”

Pipper ripped her hand out from Kat’s pants, turning to see Hessie with the aforementioned forms in front of her face.  “Hessie -”

“Er, if you could just sign these and return them to me at your, uh, earliest convenience.  I’ll, uh, leave them on your desk.  Er, that will be all.”  Hessie hurried back into the building, forms still covering her face, closing the door once more.

For a moment, neither reacted.  Then Kat groaned, letting her head fall back against the wall.  “Well, that certainly killed the mood.”

“Could be a lot worse than that.”  Pipper bit her lip nervously at the thought of what just happened getting out.

Kat quickly did her pants back up before moving to wrap her arms around Pipper’s waist comfortingly.  “Pip, it’s Hessie, you know she won’t tell anyone.”

“I know, but I’m still worried.”  She looked down at the ground.  “And embarrassed, that shouldn’t have happened.”  She groaned.  “I’m going to have to talk to Hessie about this, aren’t I?”

Kat nodded.  “I’m afraid so.  Actually,” she paused, “I was thinking that maybe it’s time we tell people about us.  I know it won’t make this any less awkward but at least it will hopefully help us avoid this in the future if people realize that opening the door is a bad idea.”  She chuckled humourlessly, looking up at Pipper hesitantly.

To her surprise, Pipper nodded without hesitation.  “You’re right, it’s time.”  She glanced at the door.  “And I guess I better start with Hessie, however awkward that conversation might be.”

“Want me to come with you?”  Kat watched as Pipper seemed to struggle over the answer internally.

“No,” she finally said, “it’s best if I do this myself.  Why don’t you head out?  I’ll see you at home.”

Kat nodded and kissed her on the cheek.  “I’ll get dinner started.  Good luck.”

Pipper mumbled a thanks as Kat made her way back inside.  She watched as Kat reappeared downstairs, retrieved her bike, and headed off before taking a deep breath and making her way inside herself.

First, she retrieved the forms from her desk and quickly signed off on them before heading further into the building.  She spotted Hessie quickly, the poor woman seemingly attempting to make herself invisible after what had just occurred.  Pipper steeled herself and went in.

“Hey, I signed those forms.”  She put the forms on Hessie’s desk.  No reaction.  “Listen, Hessie, what just happened – I’m sorry.  That should never have happened, it was incredibly unprofessional, and I’m just, I’m sorry.  There are absolutely no excuses and I apologize for the position I’ve put you in.”

“Oh, uh, it’s okay, really.” Hessie finally said after a long moment of slightly uncomfortable silence.  “Actually, it’s, uh, nice to know that you have someone in your life.  Er, how long have you and Miss Layton been together?”

Pipper smiled gently.  “Going on five months now.”

“So shortly after Richmond Court then?”  Pipper nodded.  “I must say, it’s, uh, nice to see you so happy.  I just, er, would prefer to not actually see you two in that sort of position again.”  Her face turned red as she spoke and Pipper felt her own face and neck start to heat up.

Pipper rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.  “Right, well, I can assure you that will not occur again.  As I said, that was incredibly unprofessional; but, as you’ve probably realized, we got a bit carried away.  Again, I apologize.”

“Stop apologizing.  Er, Ms Lowonida, if I may?”  Pipper raised an eyebrow curiously but nodded.  “Your job is stressful, uh, likely the most stressful in the building and sometimes you need to relax.  Er, what I mean to say is, you wouldn’t be the first mayor to, uh, engage in certain activities in the office.  I worked for your predecessor remember.”

Pipper raised her eyebrow again.  “Wasn’t he ousted because of a sex scandal?”

Hessie coughed.  “Well, uh, yes he was.  But that’s beside the point.  The point is don’t be afraid to, uh, get carried away once in a while.  Er, just lock the door first, okay?”

Pipper’s face was red again.  “I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be encouraging this, it’s still unprofessional.”

Hessie shrugged.  “Maybe so, but uh, your meetings are your business keep in mind, just don’t do it often and, er, take precautions so to speak and it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Pipper’s head was spinning, every fibre of her being screaming internally in mortification.  “Hessie, you know I adore you so don’t take this the wrong way, but this conversation is over.  I will keep what you have said in mind, but we are done talking about it.”

Hessie nodded, looking relieved.  “Understood.”

“Good.  Now, I think it is time to head home, don’t you agree?”  Pipper turned to head back into the office to grab her things to leave.

Hessie also stood to leave but paused.  “Ms Lowonida?”  Pipper turned back around.  “I really am happy for you and Miss Layton.”

Pipper smiled.  “Thank you, Hessie.”

 

Pipper got home to the smell of warm spices and the sound of Kat humming softly coming from the kitchen.  She smiled to herself, ducking upstairs to change out of her work clothes before joining Kat in the kitchen.

Kat was standing at the stove stirring a pot when she got in, a glass of wine already waiting for her on the counter.  Pipper pecked Kat on the cheek before grabbing the glass.  “God, you’re a saint.”  She took a swig, draining half the glass in one go.

Kat chuckled, turning the heat off on the stove.  “I had a feeling you would need that.  How did it go?”

Pipper was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to stop blushing.  “To summarize, I wouldn’t be the first mayor to do such a thing and to lock the door next time.”

Kat’s eyes widened.  “Okay, was not expecting Hessie to say anything along those lines, wow.”

Pipper took another long sip of wine.  “Needless to say, it was an incredibly awkward conversation but at least it worked out.  She said she was happy for us as well.”

“That was sweet of her.”  Kat moved to wrap her arms around Pipper.  “Well that’s one person down.  I figure we could tackle Ernest, Inspector Hastings and Emiliana at once tomorrow, we’re supposed to meet in the morning and I thought you could join us.”

Pipper groaned.  “Like they haven’t figured us out by now.”

Kat giggled.  “Yeah, I have no doubts that they’ve figured us out, but we should still formally tell them.”

“You’re right, we should.”  Pipper sighed.  “I figure we should tell the rest of the Dragons next week, we’re supposed to have dinner.  Admittedly, I was thinking of asking you to accompany me even before today happened.”

“Really?”  Surprise coloured Kat’s voice.

Pipper nodded.  “They’re like family to me in a lot of ways.  I guess I was ready to introduce you to my family so to speak.”

Kat kissed Pipper gently, Pipper feeling Kat’s smile.  “Have I mentioned that I love you yet today?”

Pipper laughed, “I love you too.  Now, I’d hate to let this wonderful smelling meal you made go to waste.  Besides,” a devilish grin crossed her face, “the sooner we eat, the sooner we can finish what we started earlier.”

Kat grinned, grabbing a couple of plates from the cupboard.  “Well, what are we waiting for?”

 

The others were already at the agency when Kat and Pipper walked in the next morning, hand-in-hand, meeting the couple with three identical raised eyebrows.

“We were wondering when you would finally tell us,” Emiliana drawled, “we all figured you out months ago.”

Kat and Pipper glanced at each other, surprised.  “Wait, _months_ ago?”

Ernest nodded.  “About the time of your birthday, actually.  We had pretty much all figured it out but then we saw you two on the balcony and knew for sure.”  Pipper choked at that statement.  “You alright Pipper?”

Kat laughed as Pipper spluttered out a reply.  “Oh, uh, yes, I am, thank you.”  She felt the traitorous blush return.

Inspector Hastings and Emiliana shared a look.  “You know, I can’t ‘elp but think somethin’ triggered this confession.”

“Something to do with a balcony perhaps.”  Emiliana said, looking pointedly at a still blushing Pipper.

Kat felt her own face heat up as she and Pipper looked at each other somewhat guiltily.  “Suddenly I’m not so sure I want to know,” Ernest muttered.

“Well, uh,” Pipper rubbed the back of her neck, “Hessie, my secretary that is, may or may not have come out onto the balcony yesterday when Katrielle and I were out there.”  She trailed off.

“I sense that there’s more to it than that.”  Emiliana gave them a look.

“Well, Pipper, um – you’re not really going to make us say, are you?”  Kat responded.  No reaction.

Pipper sighed.  “Fine.  If you’re so insistent on embarrassing us, I’ll tell you.”  She paused, hoping for a protest.  “I may or may not have had my hand, well, in Kat’s pants when Hessie came out onto the balcony.”  She resisted the urge to cover her face as she spoke.

“Yep, nope, really did not want or need to know that.”  Ernest was nearly as red as Pipper and Kat both were.

Inspector Hastings barked out a laugh.  “O’ course it would take you two gettin’ caught in the act to finally admit it.”

A slightly uncomfortable laugh went around the room.  “Right.  Well, I think that’s enough embarrassment for one day.  I need to be off anyway, I have a meeting in just over an hour.”  Pipper turned to Kat.  “I’ll see you after work, yes?”  Kat nodded.  “See you then.  Have a good day everyone.”  Pipper gave Kat a quick kiss before heading out the door with a wave to the others.

“I mus’ say, you two do make a lovely couple.”  Inspector Hastings remarked once Pipper had left.

Ernest nodded.  “I agree, you’ve been at your happiest these last few months.  She’s good for you.”  Emiliana murmured her assent to the statements.

Kat smiled.  “Thank you.  Though, maybe stick with the less mortifying stuff in the future?”  A couple guilty nods in return.  “Good.  Now, let’s get on this case.”

As Kat walked into Pipper’s place later that day and saw her curled up on the sofa completely engrossed in a book she could not help but think that Ernest was right earlier.  She really was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hessie. Also poor Kat and Pipper and also Ernest - Inspector Hastings and Emiliana are there for the dirt
> 
> Remember, no chapter tomorrow but there should be on Wednesday, see y'all then!


	11. Provoked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the Dragons takes an unexpected turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I went AWOL for a few days, my apologies. Basically I had my grad on Tuesday and then promptly got sick. Still suck actually but I figured I owed whatever readers I have left a new chapter.
> 
> Anyway, summary pretty much says all so here we go!

Pipper had not felt this nervous in a long time.

She felt a bit ridiculous, really.  It was not like she had much to worry about, the Dragons already all knew and adored Katrielle, they would be happy for them she kept telling herself.

If only she could get herself to believe it.

She heard the front door open and Kat call up to her before appearing in her bedroom door a moment later.  Kat raised an eyebrow as she took in the sight that greeted her; a pile of dresses on the bed, rejected in Pipper’s nerve-induced need for perfection, and Pipper herself standing in the middle of the room, clad only in her underwear and looking completely stressed.  “Talk to me.”

“I’m nervous about tonight.  I shouldn’t be, it’s not like the others don’t already know and adore you already, this shouldn’t be such a big deal.  But it is, because tonight going well is so important to me, I just want them to accept us because they’re like family and their approval is important to me and I need it because I love you and you’re not going anywhere whether they like it or not, and it would be so much easier if they accept you.”  Pipper rambled at rapid speed, hardly pausing to take a breath as tears built in her eyes, threatening to fall.

“Hey now, you need to breathe.”  Kat stepped forward and pulled Pipper into her embrace, rubbing her back as Pipper worked to regulate her breathing.  Kat waited until she had calmed down to speak again.  “Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling so anxious about tonight?”

“Honestly it didn’t really hit me until about half an hour ago,” Pipper spoke into Kat’s neck.  “I’ll admit I’ve been a bit nervous since I asked Madame Doublée if I could bring a plus one, but I had it under control until now.”

“Kat pulled back so she could see Pipper’s face, brushing her fringe out of her eyes.  “Still, you’ve got to tell me these things, I can’t help you if I don’t know.”

Pipper nodded, wiping her eyes.  “I know, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, just let me help you from now on, okay?”  Pipper nodded.  “Good, now you best finish getting ready.  Unless you plan on going like this which, I’m not complaining, but I think others might take offence.”

Pipper glanced down, remembering her state of undress, and blushed.  “Help me pick out a dress?”

“The black one,” Kat responded immediately.  “Black and white go well together,” she indicated her own white dress, “and it looks absolutely stunning on you.”

Pipper nodded and glanced at the clock.  “Sounds great.”  She put on the dress and had Kat zip it up for her before rapidly finishing getting ready.

“One last thing before we go?”  Kat spoke up once Pipper had finished getting ready.  Pipper nodded.  “What is the plan for telling them?”

Pipper shrugged.  “I figured we’d formally tell them once dinner is served but I don’t want to hide it before then, we just won’t vocalize it.  Unless someone asks us of course, I don’t want to deny it.  That sound alright?”

Kat nodded.  “Sounds like a plan.  We’d best be off then.”

The pair made their way out and down the street, finding themselves outside Madame Doublée’s mansion only a few minutes later.  Pipper faltered at the sight of the house, nerves returning in full force.  Kat grasped her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it with her thumb.  “Deep breath, Pipper.  Everything is going to be just fine.”

Pipper took a deep breath before nodding, indicating that she was ready to go inside.  They walked up to the door and Kat pressed the buzzer, keeping her other hand entwined with Pipper’s, which Pipper was extremely grateful for.  Kat gave it a squeeze as the door opened.

“Ah, Ms Lowonida, glad to see both you and your guest have arrived.”  One of Madame Doublée’s maids opened the door.  “The others have already arrived, please head on up to the reception room.”  She indicated a door on the second floor.

The pair made their way upstairs, pausing just outside the door.  Pipper took a deep breath, Kat squeezing her hand reassuringly, before pushing open the door and entering the room.

“Pipper, darling, it’s about time you arrived.”  Madame Doublée greeted them as soon as they entered the room.  A quick glance around confirmed that they were the last to arrive.  “Oh, and Katrielle!  How lovely to see you.  I wasn’t aware that you would be the one accompanying Pipper this evening.”

Kat felt Pipper stiffen slightly as she realized just the sort of escort Madame Doublée had been expecting.  “Yes, well, thank you for welcoming me into your home either way.”

“Of course, darling, you’ve done so much for everyone in this room.  I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say you’re always welcome among us.”  A murmured assent went around the room as Madame Doublée spoke.  Though no one said anything, Kat noticed a couple of them eye her and Pipper’s entwined hands.

The group seemed to break up a bit after that, going back to their mingling.  Pipper relaxed her grip on Kat’s hand after a moment as they spoke to Phineas and Liza, leaving Kat feeling comfortable enough to let go of Pipper’s hand to grab them drinks.

“Thank you, love.”  Pipper said absentmindedly as Kat handed her the glass.  Her eyes widened as she realized how she had addressed Kat, but Kat simply put an arm around her waist as if nothing had happened.

Though neither of them missed the look that Phineas and Liza exchanged, or Cesar raising an eyebrow from a few feet away.

 

By the time dinner was served it seemed as though everyone except Madame Doublée had realized the relationship between Pipper and Katrielle.  However, much to their relief, none of them voiced it until plates had been cleared away and they were just relaxing around the table.

In the end it was Grant who said something.  “So, am I right in thinking that there’s something going on here?”  He indicated Kat and Pipper as he spoke.

Kat looked to Pipper, giving her the chance to control the narrative.  Pipper grasped Kat’s hand on top of the table.  “For about five months now.”  She smiled at Kat.

“I’ll say, no wonder you’ve seemed so happy lately.”

A murmur went around the table as Phineas spoke up.  “I think we all knew something was up, I’m not sure any of us have seen you this happy since your father passed, God rest his soul.  So I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re happy for you.”

A hum went around the table as everyone voiced their agreements, one voice noticeably missing.  “Surely you don’t have an issue with this, do you Gretchin?”  Mustafa asked her.

Kat felt her heart sink.  She looked to Madame Doublée, whose expression was unreadable, then to Pipper, who looked utterly crestfallen.  Kat tightened her grip on Pipper’s hand, knowing that Pipper was really struggling if her face betrayed her emotions.

“I believe that there should be concern with how this will reflect on images.  Pipper, you’re the mayor, what are the people going to think when they find out that not only are you dating a woman, you’re dating a woman several years younger than you.  Not to mention the impact this could have on Katrielle’s business should people think she’s just trying to leverage favour in higher places.”  Kat winced, her reputation was still a point of contention between the two of them.  “And don’t forget Pipper, you are a Dragon, your actions ultimately reflect on everyone at this table.”

Pipper slammed her free hand into the table as she shot up out of her chair.  “I should have known that’s what this is about.  It’s always about the image with you, isn’t it?  Why can’t you just be happy for me for once?”

Kat glanced around the table, it seemed she wasn’t the only one taken aback by Pipper’s sudden anger.  “Pipper, hon?”

“ _Don’t_.”  Kat recoiled as Pipper took her hand out of her grip and held it up to silence her before turning back to Madame Doublée.  “Nothing I’ve ever done has been good enough for you, hasn’t it?  I was the youngest Dragon for a long time, all I ever wanted was your guidance, your acceptance.  But all I’ve gotten from you is criticism, it’s like I can’t do _anything_ right.  I’m the goddammed mayor of London – the youngest in history I might add – and still it’s never seemed like enough for you.”  Tears pricked in the corner of Pipper’s eyes as she let out anger that had been building for years.  “Why?  Why can’t the fact that I found someone who makes me happy, someone that I love and who loves me, be enough for you, just for once?”

Madame Doublée sighed.  “Pipper, darling, please be reason -”

Pipper cut her off.  “Forget it.  I can’t do this right now.  Excuse me.”  She turned on her heel and disappeared into the adjoining room.  Shocked silence settled over the room.

Kat gave the rest of the Dragons a desperate look, save for Madame Doublée whom she glared at, before getting up and heading towards the door Pipper had disappeared behind.  “Pipper?”  A quick glance around the room confirmed that she had gone out on the balcony.  Kat followed and saw Pipper at the railing, head down and shoulders shaking.  Kat immediately went and wrapped her arms around her.  “Oh, Pipper.”

Pipper turned, burying her face in Kat’s neck and wrapping her arms around her in return.  “It hurts,” she managed to choke out between sobs.

“I know sweetheart, I know.”  Kat replied, rubbing Pipper’s back as she continued to cry.  After a few moments Pipper began to calm down, stopping to shake and sobs subsiding.  “Want to talk about it?”

Pipper sighed.  “I know she just wants me to succeed, and I appreciate that, I do.  I just wish that she could actually say something positive, just once.”

Kat tucked a lock of hair behind Pipper’s ear.  “Have you ever said anything before today?”

Pipper shook her head.  “It never seemed worth it, getting into a fight with Madame Doublée is not exactly a recommendable activity.  I’ve always been able to handle it, but when she attacked our relationship of all things, I guess I just lost it.  She can criticize my career choices all she wants, but our relationship is out of bounds, I won’t have her saying anything against you.”  Pipper began to shake again as she spoke, this time from anger.

“Shhhhh, it’s okay.”  Kat cradled Pipper’s face in her hands.  “Nothing she says is going to drive me away, okay?  I love you and I’m here to stay.”  She kissed Pipper softly, leaning their foreheads together as she pulled away.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier.”  Pipper sounded slightly sheepish.

“Don’t worry about it, there’s nothing to forgive.”  Kat pulled back so she could see Pipper’s face.  “Now, be honest, are you okay to go back in there or do you want to go home?”

“Can we go home?  Please?  Honestly, this whole thing has me feeling sick.”  Kat noticed that Pipper did look awfully pale.

“Of course,” Kat stood on her toes to kiss Pipper’s forehead.  “Why don’t you just head straight downstairs?  I’ll make our excuses.”

“Thank you.”  The emotion was heavy in Pipper’s voice.  The pair made their way back inside, Pipper disappearing into the hallway while Kat went back into the adjoining room.

Madame Doublée was nowhere to be seen, not that Kat minded, but the others were still milling about, turning to look at her as she walked back in.  “I’m going to take Pipper home, she’s not feeling so well.”

Phineas, the apparent spokesperson, nodded.  “We’ll work on Doubly, I’m sure she’ll come around with a bit of talking to.  You just take care of Pip, alright?”

Kat nodded.  “Of course.  Have a good night everyone.”  She gave a slight wave as she made her way out of the room and down the stairs to meet Pipper by the door.  She silently wrapped an arm around her, leading her out the door and back down the street towards Pipper’s place.

Neither spoke until they were back inside and in the safety of Pipper’s bedroom.  “How are you feeling?”  Kat asked softly, placing a comforting hand on Pipper’s shoulder.

Pipper said nothing, instead, after a moment, bolting into the ensuite where Kat could hear her retching.  She hurried after Pipper, kneeling next to her and holding her hair back while rubbing her back soothingly as Pipper lost what little dinner she had managed to eat.  It appeared as though the full extent of the evening had finally hit her.

Pipper fell against Kat in a fresh wave of tears once she had finished retching.  Kat rocked her gently as she cried herself out a second time.  “Let’s get you to bed.”  Kat said once she had calmed down again.  Pipper nodded, exhaustion coming over her as Kat helped her get up and rinse out her mouth before leading her back into the bedroom where she then helped her out of her dress and into a nightgown.  Pipper then collapsed onto the bed while Kat quickly got herself ready for bed.

Kat slipped in next to her after a moment, pulling Pipper in close and kissing her temple.  “Get some sleep, it’ll help you feel better.”  Pipper hummed drowsily, already halfway to sleep.  Kat breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Pipper finally relax.  She still had her concerns, and definitely needed to speak to Pipper about her stress levels, but that could wait Kat decided as she also slipped into a deep sleep.

 

Kat was unsurprised to find that Pipper had developed a fever when she woke up the next morning.  After the stress of the previous night, it was almost to be expected.  Still, she found herself thankful that it was Saturday and Pipper was not required at work that day or the next day.  Carefully, she extracted herself from Pipper’s grip as to not wake her and headed downstairs.  The agency was technically open today, so she needed to call Ernest to have him hold down the fort.

Ernest picked up on the first ring.  “Layton Detective Agency.”

“Ernest, it’s Kat.”

“Miss Layton!  How did things go last night?”  Ernest sounded chipper as always.

Kat sighed.  “Not well.  Listen, I need you to handle things today.  Field anything that comes in as best you can, reschedule as necessary.  I should be back in on Monday.”

“My goodness, what happened?  Is everything alright?”  Concern coloured Ernest’s voice.

Kat pinched the bridge of her nose.  “I’ll explain fully another time.  For now though, I’ll say that Pipper isn’t well and I don’t think I should leave her alone.”

“Of course.  Don’t worry about things here Miss Layton, I’ve got everything under control.”

They said their goodbyes and Kat moved into the kitchen to make tea.  Choosing a blend that her father had often made her when she was feeling under the weather, she steeped it and then took the mugs back upstairs.

She placed the mugs on the bedside table and moved to put a hand on Pipper’s forehead, checking her temperature.  Pipper stirred.  “Sorry hon, didn’t mean to wake you, I just wanted to see how warm you were.”

Pipper groaned, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.  “What time is it?”

“Just after nine.”  Kat picked up one of the mugs from the side table.  “Here, drink this.  My dad always made it for me when I wasn’t feeling well.”

Pipper accepted it and took a sip before speaking again.  “Don’t you need to be at work?”

Kat shook her head.  “I asked Ernest to cover for me, so I could take care of you.  How are you feeling?”

“Awful if I’m being honest.  Are you sure you don’t need to go in?”  Pipper tried to sound nonchalant, but her eyes gave her away.

“Positive.  Ernest can handle anything that comes in.  I think we could both use a quiet day in.  But first.” she disappeared into the ensuite, coming back with something in her hand.  “I need to check your temperature properly.”  She held up the item in her hand, which turned out to be a thermometer.  Pipper stared at it, unimpressed.  “Now don’t give me that look, you and I both know you have a fever.”  Pipper relented, allowing Kat to stick the thermometer under her tongue.  “38 degrees,” she said a moment later.  “Could be worse, hopefully it’ll be gone by the end of the day.”

Pipper nodded, snuggling into Kat’s side.  “Does this mean we can just lie here for a while?”

Kat chuckled, “for as long as you want.”

 

As long as Pipper wanted ended up turning into when the doorbell rang only a couple of hours later.  Kat got up with a sigh, resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she pulled on a dressing gown to go answer the door.  She made her way downstairs and glanced through the peephole before opening the door, a stony look on her face.  “Madame Doublée.”

“Katrielle.”  She had the decency to look sheepish.  “I was wondering if I might be able to speak to you and Pipper.”

Kat hardly even blinked.  “I’m afraid Pipper is unwell at the moment, whatever it is you have to say can wait until another day.”

“Kat,” came Pipper’s voice.  She and Madame Doublée both looked up to see Pipper at the top of the stairs.  “It’s fine, I’m okay.”  She slowly started making her way down the stairs, Kat hurrying to meet her, taking her arm.  “Please, come in.”  She said to Madame Doublée once she and Kat had made it to the bottom of the stairs.

The group made their way into the living room, Kat escorting Pipper to the couch and making sure she was comfortable before going into the kitchen to make tea for them.  She returned a moment later to an uncomfortable silence.  She took a seat next to Pipper, brushing her hand across her forehead, noting that she still felt warm before turning back to their guest.  “So, what is it you wanted to talk to us about?”

Madame Doublée looked into her mug and sighed.  “I owe you both an apology.  I let old prejudices get in the way last night, and it was utterly wrong of me to allow them to get in the way.  The truth is, you were right Pipper.  I am so proud of you, you’ve overcome so much and made it so far.  What you’ve done with your life is incredible, and I should voice that more often.  I thought by criticizing you, I was pushing you to strive for the best, but I see now that I was wrong, and I apologize.”  She paused, taking a sip from her mug.  “And as for your relationship, I am happy for you.  What I said last night about images, that was prejudice talking, I realize that now.  Image shouldn’t matter when two people truly love each other, as you two obviously do.  So, from the bottom of my heart, I apologize for all that I said, and I promise to do better in the future.”

Her words rang around the room for a few minutes as Kat and Pipper contemplated them silently.  “What changed?”  Pipper finally asked, voice hardly above a whisper.

“Well, the others did give me a stern talking to last night after you left, but mostly it was what I witnessed between you two out on the balcony.”  Kat and Pipper looked at each other, stunned.  “You see, there’s a more private balcony on the other side of the reception room.  I went out there after you had left the room, not realizing that you would be out on the other balcony.  I couldn’t hear a word you said, but the affection I saw between you two… it reminded me of myself and my late husband.  That’s when I realized what a terrible mistake I’d made.”

“Do you really mean everything you just said?”  Pipper’s voice broke.  Kat put an arm around her as she noticed the tears start to build in her eyes again.

“Every word.”  There was a gravity in Madame Doublée’s voice that had not been there before.

“Thank you.”  Pipper went to stand but fell back against the cushions with a groan, rubbing her temple.

Kat frowned and put her hand on Pipper’s forehead again, noting that she felt warmer than before.  “We need to get you back to bed.”  She turned to Madame Doublée.  “I do truly thank you for everything you just said, it really means a lot to the both of us.  But I’m afraid I am going to have to kick you out for now so that Pipper can rest.”

Madame Doublée nodded.  “Of course, I’ll see myself out, don’t worry.  Feel better soon, darling.”  She got up and exited the room, the pair hearing the door open and close a few seconds later.

“Come on, let’s go back to bed.”  Kat helped Pipper up and they made their way back upstairs.  She got Pipper situated before going to grab the thermometer again.  Pipper gave her a sour look but did not argue as Kat stuck it under her tongue again.  “38.3, I knew your temperature had gone up.”  She brushed her fingers along Pipper’s forehead again, leaning in to kiss it gently.  “How do you feel?”

“My head hurts,” Pipper admitted.  “And honestly it’s just spinning with everything that just happened.  I’m grateful for what Madame Doublée said, don’t get me wrong, but…” She trailed off.

“You need time.”  Kat finished.  Pipper nodded.  “And that’s okay.  You’ve been through the emotional wringer last night and this morning, take all the time you need.”  Pipper nodded again, nuzzling into her chest with a yawn. “For now though, why don’t you get some more sleep?”

Another sleepy nod.  “Stay with me?”

Kat put the thermometer on the side table and shifted so that she could lie next to Pipper.  “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed drama and Madame Doublee made the most sense to be the cause (also I do body temperatures in Fahrenheit so hopefully I did okay here)
> 
> Anyway we got one more telling others type chapter left which should be up tomorrow. See y'all then


	12. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with Alfendi and Lucy leads to more than one truth being revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally meeting our Mystery Room pals! Which also means that we delve a little bit more into Kat's past.
> 
> Without further ado...

After the fiasco that telling the Dragons had turned into, Katrielle decided it was best to wait a bit before introducing Pipper to Alfendi.

So, she waited for a few weeks before approaching the subject one evening, as they were relaxing in front of the fireplace, some Rector film playing in the background.  “So, I was talking to Alfendi today.”  She decided it was best to ease into the topic.

“Oh?  And how is he doing?”

“He’s good.  Apparently, he and Lucy have been kept quite busy over in the Mystery Room, seems they’re the talk of the yard.”  She watched Pipper as to gauge her reaction.

“I’ve heard just as much over at Guildhall.  Basically any case that no one can solve goes to them and they get it every time.  Quite amazing, really.”

“Mhmm.  I, uh, might have also made plans with him.”  Kat gave Pipper a hesitant look.

Pipper raised an eyebrow at her.  “Oh, really?”

Kat nodded.  “I can cancel if you’re not comfortable, but the plan is dinner with him and Lucy Friday night.”

Pipper gave her a curious look.  “That sounds an awful lot like a double date, I thought you said Lucy was just his assistant?”

Kat shrugged.  “That’s what they insist.  Personally, I don’t believe them, and I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t.”

“Huh,” Pipper thought about it for a moment.  “Well, I think it sounds like a good idea, I have to admit I’ve been curious about your brother.”

Kat leaned over to kiss Pipper gently.  “I’m glad.  I have to admit I was a bit worried about how you would react after what went down last time.”

Pipper winced.  “Yes, well, looking back that might have gone better had I told them I was bisexual first.  It would have given everyone a chance to ease into the idea of me dating a woman.”

Kat shook her head.  “That was not on you in the slightest.  I’m just glad it worked out in the end.”

“Me too.”  She paused thoughtfully.  “By the way, does Alfendi know that…” she trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

“That I’m gay?”  Pipper nodded.  “I told him a few years ago when I first started university.”  She chuckled wanly.  “I was so nervous that I ended up calling Hilda first and asking her for advice.  She saw right through me of course, so I ended up confessing to her.  It ended up being the push I needed to tell Al, who was nothing but supportive.”

Pipper smiled.  “He really sounds like a good brother.  But, um, who’s Hilda?”

“Right, I forgot you wouldn’t know who she is.”  She paused for a moment.  “She’s Al’s, I guess ex is the best way to put it.  They never really defined what they were, but they acted like a couple more often than not.  Anyway, they were in school when Dad disappeared, and because Al’s place had been deemed unsuitable for a child, Hilda offered her flat as a place where Al could see me without the need for any CPS officers.  She took on the older sister role in my life in a lot of ways, especially since Flora left when I was so young.  She and Al kind of drifted apart after Forbodium happened, but we kept in touch, she’s always been someone I felt like I could trust with anything.”  Kat smiled slightly.  “It helps too that she and Al have reconnected and become good friends again over the past couple of years.”

“She sounds like a pretty spectacular woman.  I’m assume you’ll introduce me at some point?”  Pipper gave Kat an expectant look.

Kat nodded.  “Absolutely, I’m just not sure when.  Hilda works for Interpol, so her schedule can be a bit hard to predict.”

“Well, then I guess we’ll just have to start with you brother and his so-called assistant.”  A sly smile came across her face.  “But, that’s enough family talk for now.”

Kat raised an eyebrow.  “Oh?”  Pipper responded by quickly flipping Kat so that she was on her back, lips attacking her neck.  Kat groaned and then giggled.  “What were we talking about again?”

Pipper slipped her hands under Kat’s back, undoing the tie on her dress.  “Absolutely nothing.  So shut up and kiss me already.”

Kat obliged without hesitation.

 

Friday seemed to come quicker than either of them expected.

Pipper, thankfully, had her nerves under control this time however Kat was busy pacing her bedroom.  “Darling, it’s going to be fine.”

Kat paused and gave Pipper a look.  “What are you talking about?  I’m not nervous.”

Pipper raised an eyebrow as she finished putting the last pins in her hair.  “You can’t fool me.”

Kat sighed.  “Honestly, I feel like I’m 18 again about to tell my older brother and only family I really have left that I’m gay.”

Pipper moved so that she was next to Kat and pulled her into an embrace.  “And it was fine then, and it’s going to be fine now.  From what you’ve told me, Alfendi has been nothing but supportive of you, why would this be any different?”

Kat relaxed into her.  “You’re completely right.  I’m still nervous though.”

Pipper kissed her forehead softly.  “And that’s alright.  Just remember I’m here for you, okay?”  Kat nodded.  “Good, now we best be off.”

They arrived at the restaurant they were meeting Alfendi and Lucy at about a half hour later and were escorted to their table, at which they were the first to arrive.  Kat just shrugged.  “Neither Al nor Lucy are particularly known for their timeliness,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Al and Lucy had just pulled up outside.  “Oh ‘eck, we’re so late.”  Lucy glanced at her watch, noting they were 15 minutes late.

Al just shrugged.  “Katrielle won’t mind, she knows how the job is.”  He stopped in his tracks as he saw his sister at their table.  “Erm, Lucy?  Is that who I think it is with Kat?”

Lucy followed his gaze, eyes widening.  “By God, it is.  That’s Mayor Lowonida.  The ‘eck is she doing here?”

“I have an inkling, but I think I’ll let Katrielle confirm rather than ask anything.”  He tapped his chin thoughtfully.  “For now, we best get inside.”  Lucy nodded, and the pair made their way inside, joining the others at the table.

Kat immediately got up as soon as she saw them, pulling Al and then Lucy into hugs.  “It’s been much too long since I saw either of you, I hope neither of you has been working too hard.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let him stay past six.  Well, unless summat important comes up.”  Lucy shrugged.

“Like today, unfortunately.”  Al turned to Pipper.  “Apologies for our tardiness Madame Mayor, if Kat had mentioned that she wasn’t coming alone, I would have pushed harder for us to leave the office sooner.”

Pipper brushed him off with a wave of her hand.  “Please, call me Pipper.  And don’t worry about it, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been late for something because I left the office later than intended.”

Kat smirked.  “I can’t even count how many times it’s happened in the past six months on both hands, you two have nothing to worry about.”  Pipper smiled sheepishly, and Al and Lucy gave each other a look as they finally took their seats.

“Well, you arguably have the most important job in all of London, I’m sure late nights are a common practice for you.”

Pipper nodded.  “Yes, I’m afraid I used to work until eight at night or later more often than not.  I’m trying to be better at leaving earlier these days though.”

Lucy grinned.  “Any tips?  This one would live in the office if I didn’t make him leave.”  She jabbed her thumb in Al’s direction.

“Let’s just say it helps if there’s motivation to get you leave, such as something or someone waiting for you.”  The smile Pipper gave Lucy was secretive and she heard Kat cough slightly.  She was beginning to see what Al had meant earlier.

Dinner was a pleasant affair, the four of them laughing like they were all old friends.  As much as she loved the original Al, Kat found herself glad that Placid continued to front as she saw how relaxed Pipper was.  Though she was almost one hundred percent certain that both Al and Lucy had seen right through them as soon as they walked in the door.

Sure enough, Al brought it up as soon as they ordered dessert.  “So, Katrielle, it sounded as though you had something you wanted to tell me when we spoke on the phone.”

Kat glanced at Pipper who simply nodded.  “You’re telling me the great Alfendi Layton hasn’t figured it out yet?”  She smirked, taking a sip of her drink.  “I’m surprised, brother.”

“Oh, I figured it out within five minutes of getting here.  I was just merely giving you a chance to tell us.”  Al shrugged as he spoke.

Kat sighed.  “Of course you did. Then again, I’ve never been able to get anything past you.”  Her voice softened, and she took Pipper’s hand.  “Just a few days shy of six months now.”  She and Pipper smiled at each other.

“Six months, eh?  That’s quite a while.”  Lucy noted curiously.  “Why haven’t you mentioned sooner?”

Kat winced.  “Well, we actually told most others a few weeks ago.  But, erm, there was a bit of an incident which led us to wait a bit before telling anyone else.”

“What happened?”

Pipper sighed.  “Let’s just say one of the other Dragons didn’t take it well at first.  It wasn’t that big a deal, but we needed a bit of time to recover.”

Kat frowned.  “I wouldn’t say it wasn’t a big deal, Pip, the whole thing had you ill.”

Pipper glared at Kat slightly.  “Katrielle, I love you, but I don’t think this is the time to be discussing this,” she said through clenched teeth.

“On the contrary, this is the perfect time to discuss it.  Whose tongue do I need to cut out for hurting either of you?”

Kat looked over at Al and saw that Potty had come out.  “Uh oh,” she breathed.  She unconsciously gripped Pipper’s hand tighter, worried about how she would react to what was happening.

“Cut out – what?”  Pipper’s eyes widened as she took in Al’s appearance.

“It’s not worth it, Al.  It happened, yes it hurt, but we moved on.”  Kat rolled her eyes.  “Don’t get yourself involved in fights that you know you’re going to lose.”

“Fine, dear sister, I’ll stay out of that.”  He turned his attention to Pipper.  “However, do not expect me to stay out of it if this one ever hurts you.  Rest assured, Madame Mayor, if you ever cause my sister any pain, I won’t hesitate.”  He twirled the steak knife that was still on the table menacingly.

“Oi, steady on there, Prof.”  Lucy turned to a slightly petrified looking Pipper.  “Ignore him, he’s all bark and no bite.”

“Careful my dear or it will be your tongue that I will be cutting out.”  Al turned his sneer to Lucy.

Lucy smirked.  “You’d miss my tongue too much to follow through.”

Kat cleared her throat.  “Are you sure there isn’t something you two would like to tell us?”  She raised an eyebrow at the pair.  Pipper looked between them, unsure what to think.

Al groaned, rubbing his head as Placid regained control.  “My apologies, Pipper.  My other side can a bit, well, interesting.”

Pipper smiled warily.  “No worries, Kat told me about what happened.  Can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, getting shot and waking up a few months later with a new personality, it sounds like a horrible ordeal.”

Lucy listened to Pipper in disbelief, turning to give Al an incredulous look.  “You never told Kat?”

“Lucy…” Al’s voice held a warning in it.

“Never told me what?  Al, what is Lucy talking about?”  Worry overtook Kat.  Pipper shuffled her chair slightly closer to Kat’s so that their arms were pressed together.

The group was interrupted by dessert arriving, the tension in the air thick as silence rung over them.  Once the waitress had left again Kat spoke again.  “What are you not telling me, Al?”  Her voice was strained.

Al sighed.  “Katrielle, you have to understand.  You were only 15 when Forbodium happened, you were a child.  I was not going to burden you with the truth, you had enough to deal with what with your only family in the country being in a coma and then waking up with a new personality.  Keeping you in the dark was the only thing Hilda and I agreed upon when I woke up, we both thought it best.”

“Hilda knew?”  Kat’s voice broke.

“Actually, as it turned out none of us knew anything.  We all only found out what truly happened a couple of years ago.  Thanks to Lucy figuring out the truth.”  He looked at Lucy, pride evident in his eyes.

“And what was the truth?”  Kat’s voice was a near whisper.  Pipper rubbed her arm soothingly.

“You were told that Keelan Makepeace had shot me and that he was dead.  What we didn’t tell you at the time was that not only did all evidence point to me, but I confessed upon waking.”  Kat gasped.  “As it turned out though, that was not the truth.  Turns out Lawson had manipulated the whole thing.  He managed to trick Hilda into giving false statements and used my gun to shoot Makepeace as to frame me.  He and Makepeace were working together the whole time.  But Lawson wanted out and knew the only way was to kill Makepeace, and since he knew he would be investigated if he were the one to shoot him, it caused him to frame me instead.”  Al took a deep breath, Placid fighting to keep Potty down, knowing that he needed to be the calm one in this situation.  “Truth was, I wasn’t supposed to survive.  Lawson knew that his plan would fall apart upon my awakening, so he spent the time I was in a coma trying to brainwash me.  It didn’t work properly though, hence my dual-personality being born.”

Kat said nothing, stunned into silence.  “You’ve known the truth for two years and you never told me?”  She finally said, sounding hurt.

“I wanted to protect you -”

“How does hiding the truth protect me?”  Kat cut him off.  “God, I was 19 the second time you went to Forbodium, I was hardly a child.”

“You were still too young.  God, don’t you see, you ignorant girl?  You were still a mere teenager, the last thing I was going to do was ruin your innocence by telling you the truth and showing you just how a dark a place the world is.”  Potty was back in full force.

“I was only ignorant because you left me in the dark,” Kat shot back.  “You knew I wanted to be a detective, you knew that that meant I would learn about the darkness anyway.  Why would you not just tell me yourself, you’re my brother for God’s sake!”

Al opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by Lucy.  “Enough you two!  People are starting to stare.”  Sure enough, some of the people at nearby tables were looking over curiously.  “Look, you both have points.  Kat, you can’t blame Al for wanting to protect you.  Al, you should’ve told her more than you did.  Can we all agree on that?”  Everyone nodded.  “Good.  Now, can we please eat our dessert?”

The tension seemed to melt away as they all tucked into their long-forgotten desserts.  Kat raised an eyebrow as Al fed Lucy a bite of his own off his own fork.  “You know, you never did answer my question earlier.”  Both looked at her questioningly.  “Is there something going on here?”

Al sighed.  “Guess I owe you this much,” he grumbled.  “Fine, yes, we’re together.”

Kat squealed.  “I’m so happy for you!  How long?”

Both Al and Lucy gave her a sheepish look.  “Ee, about a year and a half now technically speaking but we only really talked about it eight months ago.”  Lucy explained.

Kat chuckled.  “Suddenly I don’t feel so bad for not telling you for six months.”  Laughter went around the table.  “But seriously, I’m so happy for you two.  Anyone else know?”

Al, who had shifted back to Placid again, replied.  “Everyone at work saw right through us.”

“Including Hilda?”  Kat raised an eyebrow again.

Al chuckled.  “She was the first to figure us out, she was happy for us too.  Speaking of Hilda…”

“I was hoping to meet up with her next time she was in town and had free time.”  Kat shrugged.  “Knowing her though, she’s figured out from our phone conversations that there’s someone.”

“No doubt in my mind about that.”  Al turned to Pipper, who had been silent for the past several minutes.  “Don’t worry about her, she’s as much all bark and no bite as my other side.”  He paused.  “Though she does have more connections than I do.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”  Pipper seemed unsure how to react.

Kat gave her a concerned look.  “You okay?”

Pipper nodded.  “Yes.  It’s just,” she paused looking for the right words, “a lot to take in so to speak.”

It was Lucy that responded.  “Understandable.  We can be a bit much sometimes.”  She chuckled.

Pipper smiled gently.  “Maybe so, but I like it.  Honestly, I’ve only just met you but you’ve both already made me feel like I’m part of the family, it’s really nice.”

“Well, welcome to the Layton family.  We’re highly dysfunctional, but we love each other and that’s what matters.”  Al raised his glass in a toast.

“Couldn’t have put it better myself.”  Kat too raised her glass, dropping a kiss on Pipper’s cheek.

Pipper raised her glass.  “Well then, to family.”

 

Pipper was still living off the high of meeting Kat’s family going so well a few days later when Hessie poked her head into her office.

“Erm, Mayor Lowonida?  There’s an Agent Pertinax from Interpol here to speak to you about a case.”

Pipper looked up from what she had been working on, confusion plain on her face.  “Were we expecting them?”  Hessie shook her head.  “Well, no big deal, send them in.”  She closed the file she had been reading and stood to greet her guest.

Hessie disappeared again and a moment later a woman entered, long blonde hair tied back, and wearing a sweeping blue coat, a pocket watch clipped around her waist.  “You must be Agent Pertinax.  Pipper Lowonida, how may I help you?”  Pipper stepped forward to shake her hand.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance Mayor Lowonida.  I apologize for dropping in without notice, but I wanted to speak to you about one of your councilmen.”  She shook Pipper’s hand firmly.

Pipper nodded.  “Of course.  Please, take a seat.”

They discussed the issue at hand for a while, Pipper feeling slightly uncomfortable as Agent Pertinax leveled her with a harsh stare.  “Anything else I can help you with?”  Pipper asked once she had given all the information she had.

Agent Pertinax did not respond for a moment, regarding Pipper.  “I must say, I can see why Alfendi likes you.”

Something clicked in Pipper’s head.  “You’re Hilda, aren’t you?”

A smirk.  “That I am.”

“Katrielle speaks very highly of you, I’m glad to finally get the chance to meet you.”  Pipper smiled, so this was the woman that Kat thought of like an older sister.

“And I you.  Katrielle really is the little sister I never had, I’m glad that she’s found someone who makes her so happy.”  She gave Pipper a sly smile.  “Rest assured though, if you hurt her, Al will be the least of your worries.  I have connections and I won’t hesitate to use them to make you disappear.”

Pipper gulped under the intensity of Hilda’s gaze.  “Message received, Agent Pertinax.”

The other relaxed.  “Glad to hear.  But please, call me Hilda.”

“And I Pipper.”  She stood.  “Now, if there’s anything else I can do, please let me know, but otherwise I really do need to get back to work.”

Hilda also stood, shaking Pipper’s hand again.  “Nope, I’ve got everything I need.”

 

Pipper looked up as Kat walked in a few hours later.  Kat stopped in her tracks as she took in the look on Pipper’s face.  “Everything okay?”

“So I met Hilda earlier today…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that the councillor Hilda was asking about is the same douche that insulted Pipper a few chapters back not gonna lie. Also I probably didn't quite get Lucy's accent but it's a difficult one to write (easy to read, hard to write, a little annoying tbh)
> 
> See y'all next time


	13. Deadlines (explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deadlines at work have Pipper's stress levels elevated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming to the end of what I have published, only three more chapters after this one. I'm not sure the status of this fic once everything is published, not gonna lie I don't really have any ideas/motivation to continue this. Maybe I just need to replay millionaire's conspiracy or maybe some prompts but right now I just don't know
> 
> Anyway, today we have a stressed Pipper and Kat talking to her about it. Marked explicit for one short scene about midway through

“Kat, it’s nearly six o’clock, we don’t have to start the case now.”  Sherl groaned once the Layton Detective Agency’s most recent client had left.

Katrielle rolled her eyes.  “On the contrary, you heard what she said, if we’re going to find anything it isn’t going to be until later in the evening.  We’re not going to start now, we’re going to start in a couple of hours.”

“How is that any better?”

“Gives you the next couple hours to eat dinner and take a nap.”  Kat shrugged, pulling on her jacket and hat as she spoke.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”  Sherl gave her a skeptical look as he observed her getting ready to go out.

“Guildhall.  Pipper has to work late tonight, so I’m going to take dinner over and make sure she at least takes a short break.”  Kat finished doing up her jacket.  “We’ll get started once I get back, Ernest should be back shortly, he can feed you.”

“And here I thought having a girlfriend would cause you to keep normal hours, she obviously isn’t a good enough influence on you,” Sherl grumbled.

Kat smirked.  “Well, you could have a word with her if you like.  As it turns out, she can understand you.”

“She WHAT?”  Sherl looked as though his eyes were about to pop out of his head.

“You heard me.  Would you like me to set up a meeting with her for you?”  Kat’s smirk grew.

“Uh, no, it’s alright.  Just, uh, have a good time and I’ll see you when you get back.”  Sherl said quickly, retreating back to his bed.

Kat just laughed, heading out and grabbing her bike.  She made a stop to pick up dinner before making her way to Guildhall.  She parked her bike and headed inside, acknowledging Hessie as she made her way into Pipper’s office.

“Lock the door, would you?”  Pipper looked up as Kat walked in, stress evident on her face.

Kat obliged, locking the door and making her way across the office, dropping the food on the table before perching on the edge of Pipper’s desk.  “You okay, Pipper?”  Pipper just groaned.  “Well I brought dinner.  Come on, you need to take a break.”

“What I need is a glass of whiskey and an orgasm.”  Pipper let her head fall back against her chair, rubbing her temple.  “But at this point I’ll settle for dinner and a solid hour with no one needing anything from me.”

Kat frowned, moving so that she was standing behind Pipper’s chair.  She placed her hands on Pipper’s shoulders, feeling the tension in them as she rubbed them.  Pipper moaned as Kat dug her thumbs in, trying to relieve some of the tension.  “You know,” Kat said thoughtfully, “I may not have any whiskey on me, but I could help with the orgasm.”

Pipper moaned again as Kat hit a particularly tight spot at the base of her neck.  “We’re in the office Kat, there’s still plenty of people here.”

“So?  The door is locked, no one’s coming in.”  Kat smirked.  “We just have to find a way to keep you quiet, can’t have you screaming and causing security to break down the door.”

Pipper bit her lip, deliberating between propriety and desire, desire eventually winning out.  “I have an idea.  There’s a handkerchief in the top drawer, you could use it to gag me.”

Kat startled.  “Are you sure?”

Pipper nodded.  “I trust you.”

Kat said nothing else, instead moving around to the front of the chair so that she could kiss Pipper deeply, straddling her lap, hands running over her body, kneading her breasts through the layers of her clothing.  Eventually she moved off of Pipper, grabbing the handkerchief from the aforementioned drawer, pausing before doing anything with it.  “You’re still sure about this?”  Pipper nodded, leaning forward so that Kat could tie a knot behind her head.  “Okay, if you change your mind, tap me three times on the shoulder.”  Pipper nodded her understanding and Kat slipped down so that she was kneeling on the floor before Pipper.

Kat undid Pipper’s pants, sliding them down her legs before attacking her inner thighs with her mouth, nipping and sucking her way closer to where they met, Pipper’s panties already damp.  Kat quickly removed them before they got too wet.  She blew a slight gust of air over sensitive skin, hearing a muffled moan come from Pipper.  She looked up and saw Pipper with her head fallen back, eyes closed and chest heaving with rapid breaths.

She slowly dragged her tongue along Pipper’s slit, eliciting another moan, before delving in, alternating between swirling her tongue around her clit and pushing it past her folds.  Pipper groaned, grinding down further into Kat’s face.  Kat changed tactics, flattening her tongue and pressing it against Pipper’s clit, allowing her to rock against it and set her own pace.  Pipper slowly picked up the pace, rocking her hips faster until a few moments later she came, a muffled scream erupting from her lips.  Kat lapped at her gently, allowing her to ride out the aftershock, before standing back up so she could remove the handkerchief again.  “You good?”

Pipper nodded.  “God, yes, that was amazing,” she said breathlessly.  “And the gag worked really well, should keep that in mind.”

Kat giggled.  “Is there a fantasy you would like to act out sometime?”

Pipper smirked.  “Maybe so.  But that’s a conversation for another time.  For now, shall I return the favour?”

Kat shook her head.  “Not right now.  I actually have a case I need to get started on this evening, not to mention you have work you need to get done, and we both need dinner.”  She shrugged.  “Besides, my cycle just started.”

“Ah, gotcha.”  Pipper nodded knowingly.  She would repay the favour next chance they had to take a shower together.  “In that case, dinner sounds fantastic.”  She stood and put her pants back on while Kat fetched their dinner from the table, passing Pipper a couple of containers and a pair of chopsticks.

“Fried rice and mixed vegetables for my beautiful lady.”  She pulled a few more containers out.  “And sweet and sour pork, fried rice, and beef and broccoli for me.”  One more container.  “And, of course, spring rolls to share.”

“God, Chinese takeout has never sounded so good.”  Pipper accepted the containers and dug in without hesitation.  It had been an awfully long time since breakfast.

Kat watched her, concern etched on her face.  “You skipped lunch, didn’t you?”

Pipper blushed.  “I just didn’t have time, it’s been pretty much non-stop all day.”

Kat frowned, silently pushing the container of spring rolls closer to Pipper.  “You need to take better care of yourself.”

Pipper gave her a sheepish look, taking a spring roll.  “I know, I know.  But lunchtime came around and I wasn’t hungry, and there was just so much that needed to get done that taking lunch wasn’t worth it.”

Kat’s frown deepened.  “Are you not feeling well?  You hardly ate any breakfast either.”  She felt Pipper’s forehead, relieved to find that she did not feel warm.

Pipper brushed Kat’s hand off.  “I’m fine, just a bit stressed is all.  These deadlines are killing me.”

“You need to relax, all this stress isn’t good for you.  And neither is skipping meals.”  Kat gestured pointedly to the spring rolls.

Pipper took another with a slight smirk.  “I’d say that I’m pretty relaxed right now, or do you forget what we did just a few minutes ago?”  She took a bite of her spring roll.

Kat rolled her eyes.  “You know what I mean.  I’ve been worried about your stress levels for weeks now.  You’ve skipped breakfast more often than eaten it recently and I’d bet today isn’t the only day you’ve skipped lunch, isn’t it?”  Pipper suddenly found her vegetables very interesting.  “Case in point.  Look, I know there’s a lot you can’t tell me for confidentiality reasons, but I need you to talk to me so I at least know what’s going on inside your head.”

Pipper mumbled an apology, poking at her vegetables with tears building in her eyes.

“Hey now, look at me.”  Pipper looked up hesitantly, anxiety evident in her eyes.  Kat put down her food, reaching over to caress Pipper’s cheek.  “I’m not mad at you in the slightest, I’m just worried about you.  It’s understandable and completely normal that you’re stressed, but I can tell it’s starting to take a toll.”

Pipper leaned into Kat’s touch.  “You’re right,” she admitted quietly.  “I’ve felt awful for a few days now, but it will pass it always does.  And don’t underestimate yourself, you’ve helped a lot.”

“Oh?”  Kat raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Just by being there.  I can go home at the end of the day, curl up with you and just forget my troubles.  We can talk about everything and nothing and just relax.  Your presence is like a safety blanket when I’m stressed.”  Pipper caught hold of the hand still on her cheek and turned her head so she could kiss the palm.

“Who knew the great Pipper Lowonida could be so sappy?”  Kat squeaked as Pipper reached over to poke her in the side.  “I think it’s sweet.  I’m glad that I do help you, but in the future if you need anything more please ask me, okay?”

“I will.  And Katrielle?”  Kat nodded.  “Thank you.”

Kat leaned forward across the table to kiss Pipper softly.  “Anytime.”  She glanced at the clock.  “Oh shoot, speaking of the time I need to get back to the agency.”  She stood and gathered her leftover containers.  “I suspect it’s going to be a late night for us, so I’ll see you tomorrow, is that okay?  I’ll bring breakfast by first thing in the morning.”

Pipper sighed.  “Honestly, I would rather see you tonight, but I understand.  It’s not often that a case keeps you that late anyway, I can deal with it for tonight.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

Kat kissed her on the cheek.  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but this case is a bit of an odd one.  See you in the morning, love you.”

Pipper pulled her in for a quick hug, “love you too.  Tell me all about this case over breakfast?”

“Absolutely.  Hope you’re in for a good vampire story.”  Kat winked and made her way out of the office, leaving a dumbstruck Pipper in her wake.

“She really wasn’t kidding when she said Sherl was the most normal thing to happen to her family,” Pipper muttered to herself as she shook her head.  “Oh well, back to work it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pipper has Anxiety™ (understandable tbh, anyone would with her life)
> 
> Anyway new chapter tomorrow unless work kills me or the wind storm knocks out my internet and/or power


	14. Reinforcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat is sick but stubborn, Ernest calls in backup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say today so enjoy!

Ernest was treading lightly.

Katrielle had come into work that morning looking distinctly unwell but had proceeded to snap at Ernest when he asked her if she was alright.  Ernest had decided it was best to not push the matter, but still watched in concern as Kat dragged herself around at a much slower and less enthusiastic pace than she was known for.  It was clear that her work was being affected, even Sherl had commented that maybe Kat should call it quits and let him and Ernest handle things, but if there was one thing Kat was known for, it was stubbornness.

Which is why Ernest was now pulling out the big guns.

He had sent Sherl to distract Kat so that he could make the call without her getting mad at him.  Once he was sure Kat would not hear him, he lifted the receiver and dialled the number, praying that he would get an answer.

“Mayor Lowonida’s office, Hessie Tate speaking, how may I help you?”

Ernest cursed in his head.  “Miss Tate, it’s Ernest.  Is Mayor Lowonida available?”

“Oh, Ernest, uh, give me a moment to check.”  Hessie responded before hold music came over the line.  Ernest glanced over his shoulder, hoping that Sherl would manage to keep Kat occupied long enough for him to speak to Pipper.

The hold music cut off.  “Ernest,” came Pipper’s voice, “is everything okay?”

He breathed a sigh of relief.  “Pipper, thank goodness.  I’m sorry to bother you at work but I’m worried about Miss Layton.  She seems distinctly ill but refuses to admit to it.  It’s clearly affecting her work and I’m afraid she’s going to make her condition worse if she keeps going.”

Pipper sighed on the other end of the line.  “I knew she was lying this morning when she said she was feeling fine.”  Another sigh.  “Listen, I’m going to come pick her up, you’re at the office, yeah?”

“We are, yes.”

“Good.  I’ll be there in about a quarter hour.”  The line clicked as Pipper hung up and Ernest replaced the receiver with a sigh of relief.  Just then, Kat came back into the room.

“Ready to go?”  Ernest could tell she was trying to sound chipper, but it fell flat.  Her face was pale and she was swaying slightly on the spot.

“Actually, there’s someone coming in about 15 minutes.  Let’s speak to them first and then we can head out after.”  He hoped Kat would not see through him.

“Fine.”  Kat collapsed in her chair to wait, Ernest breathing another sigh of relief.  Now he just had to hope she did not get angry when Pipper showed up.

 

Pipper hung up with a sigh.  Damn Katrielle and her stubbornness.  She found herself glad that she had taken her car today rather than walked to work like she usually did as she quickly grabbed her bag and keys, hesitating before grabbing the stack of files she needed to work through that day.

She left her office and caught Hessie’s attention.  “I’ll be working from home the rest of the day.  I need the next hour but after that I’ll be available by phone if anyone needs anything.”

“Of course.  Erm, is everything okay?”  Hessie looked concerned.

“Katrielle’s sick.  I’m going to go pick her up and then I’m going to stay home so I can take care of her.  If anyone requests a meeting schedule them for another day or if it can’t wait set up a conference call, okay?”

“Oh, uh, consider it done.  I hope Miss Layton feels better soon.”  Hessie scribbled something on a piece of paper.

“Thank you,” Pipper said gratefully before making her way out of Guildhall.  She tossed her bag and the pile of folders in the backseat of her car before making her way to Chancer Lane, parking in the lot behind the building and making her way in through the Agency’s back entrance.

“Miss Layton are you sure you’re alright?”  Came Ernest’s voice from the front room.  Pipper paused just out of sight, curious about Kat’s response.

“For the last time, Ernest, I’m fine.” Kat snapped, though Pipper could tell that it was with less energy than usual.

“No, you’re not,” Pipper walked around the corner as she spoke.  “In fact, you look about ten times worse than this morning.”  She took in Kat’s appearance, skin pale and clammy, tired eyes without their usual sparkle, hair limp.

“Pipper?”  Kat looked at her, confused.  “What are you doing – traitor.”  The reason behind Pipper’s presence occurred to her mid-sentence and she instead turned to glare at Ernest.

He held up his hands in protest.  “As your loyal assistant and friend, I was only doing what was best for you.”

“And I’m glad that he did.”  Pipper crossed the room to where Kat was sitting and put a hand on her forehead.  “You’re burning up,” she tutted.  “You should be in bed, not working.  You’re only going to make yourself worse if you keep going like this.”

“Fine, if you insist.”  Kat tried to sound put out but gave herself away as she leaned gratefully into Pipper’s side.

“Would you rather go up to your flat or go back to mine?”  Pipper asked her as she ran her fingers through Kat’s hair, recognizing that she was seeking comfort.

“Can we go back to yours?  Please?”  Kat looked up at her hopefully.

Pipper dropped a kiss on the top of her head.  “Of course, up you get.”  She helped Kat up before turning to look at Ernest.  “I’m sure Ernest can handle things here.”

Ernest nodded.  “Absolutely, you have nothing to worry about Miss Layton.  Do feel better soon.”

“Thank you, Ernest, I’m sure I’ll be back in a couple of days.”  She gave Ernest a slightly less annoyed look than before.

“Alright, let’s get you out of here.  Thank you again, Ernest.”  Pipper threw a grateful look over her shoulder as she led Kat out the back door and to her car.

The drive back to Pipper’s was a quiet affair, Kat drifting in and out of sleep as Pipper focussed on the road.  Once they got to Pipper’s she helped Kat upstairs to her bedroom, Kat leaning heavily on her as they made their way up the stairs.  Pipper sat Kat down on the bed before going to her dresser, pulling open a drawer and frowning as she realized that none of Kat’s nightgowns were in there.  She tried a couple of other drawers, realizing that they all must have ended up back at Kat’s flat somehow.  She opened up the first drawer again with a sigh, pulling out one of her own she hoped would fit Kat comfortably.

“Here you go,” she said to Kat as she went to help her get out of her day clothes.  “I’m afraid none of your nightgowns seem to be here at the moment, but we’re a similar enough size that this should do you just fine.”  Pipper pulled the nightgown over Kat’s head and was glad to see it fit her well.

“I must have taken them all back to mine with the laundry I needed to do,” Kat yawned.

Pipper smiled fondly.  “You can do your laundry here, you know.  Now, get comfortable, I’ll be back in a second.”  She went and quickly filled a glass with water in case Kat got thirsty, before grabbing the thermometer.  “I have been waiting to get you back for this,” she held up the thermometer, “and now’s my chance.”

Kat smirked tiredly.  “I’d hate to break it to you, hon, but I’m not about to fight you.”

“Oh hush,” Pipper stuck the thermometer under Kat’s tongue, effectively rendering her silent.  “39.5,” she read out a moment later.  “A little too high for my liking.  Get some rest and we’ll see if it goes down naturally before we try and bring it down, alright?”  Kat nodded, already most of the way to sleep.  “I’ll be in my office if you need anything.  I love you.”  She dropped a kiss on Kat’s warm forehead.

Kat mumbled an incoherent response and then she was asleep.  Pipper stayed for a couple moments to ensure Kat was truly asleep before getting up and returning to her car to grab the pile of folders and making her way into her office.  She bypassed the desk, deciding instead to curl up on the sofa, and settled down, opening the first file and getting to work.

 

 A few hours passed before Kat wandered into the office, collapsing on the couch next to Pipper, lying across her lap.

Pipper put the file she had been working on aside, brushing a lock of hair off of Kat’s sweaty forehead.  “How are you feeling?”  Her question was met with a groan.  A quick glance revealed that Kat was soaked in sweat and a hand on her forehead confirmed that her fever had not subsided.  “We need to get your fever down, come on.”  Pipper stood and helped Kat up, leading her back through the bedroom and into the bathroom, sitting her down on the closed lid of the toilet before moving to run a lukewarm bath.  Once she was satisfied with that she turned back to Kat, who had obediently removed the sweaty nightgown, and helped her lower herself in the tub.

Kat whimpered as the water hit her.  Pipper felt a slight pang of guilt, knowing that the lukewarm water would feel freezing against Kat’s feverish skin.  “I’m sorry, darling, but we need to get your temperature down.”  She kissed Kat’s temple before standing and collecting her sweat-soaked clothing.  “I’m going to go grab you a fresh nightgown.  I want you to stay in the bath at least ten minutes, okay?”  She waited until Kat nodded before heading back in the bedroom.

She tossed the dirty clothing into the hamper, noticing the bed in the corner of her eye and deciding to change the sheets as well.  She quickly did that and grabbed a fresh nightgown before heading back into the ensuite to sit with Kat.

“How long does it take to grab a nightgown?”  Kat chuckled wanly, shivering slightly.

“Not long, I just decided new sheets were in order as well.”  Pipper brushed a hand across Kat’s forehead, glad to feel that she was a bit cooler than before.  “How are you doing?”

“I’m freezing,” Kat retorted, giving Pipper a half-hearted glare.

“I know, I’m sorry.  It’s just for a few more minutes, then you can get out.”  Pipper ran her fingers through Kat’s hair, feeling her grow tired again despite the shivering.  “Alright, up you get,” she said once a few minutes had passed.  She helped Kat up and out of the tub, passing her a towel and draining the water.  Once Kat had dried off and was dressed, Pipper lead her back to the bed where she stuck the thermometer under Kat’s tongue once again.  “38.3, much more manageable.”  She caressed Kat’s cheek.  “Get a bit more sleep, alright?  I need to get a little more work done so I’ll be in the office again if you need anything.”  Kat nodded, most of the way to sleep, and Pipper dropped a kiss on her forehead before leaving her to sleep once more.

 

When Kat arose again a couple of hours later, Pipper was pleased to find that her fever, while still present, had gone down slightly again and Kat seemed much more herself than she had earlier.

“This is probably an utterly stupid question, but do you think you could eat anything?”  Pipper looked at Kat, who had curled up against her side as she finished the last file she had brought home.

“You do remember who you’re talking to, right?”  Kat smirked at Pipper.

“Should have known.”  Pipper shook her head fondly.  “Does soup sound good?  I have a recipe that my father always made for me when I was sick.”

Kat’s eyes lit up.  “With crackers?”  Pipper nodded with a laugh.  “Sounds perfect.”

Pipper stood.  “Are you going to come down with me or would you rather rest up here?”

“I’ll come with you, I need to get up for a bit.”  Kat stood as well.  The pair made their way downstairs and to the kitchen, where Kat sat at the breakfast bar as Pipper started pulling out what she needed.

They chatted idly as Pipper went about her cooking, Kat raising an eyebrow when she saw Pipper adding cayenne pepper into the pot.  “My father swore by it, said it could cure any fever or stuffy nose,” she shrugged.

Kat chuckled.  “Dad always swore by this blend of tea called cinder flower, said he learned the recipe on one of his travels.  I never liked it, personally, I thought it tasted awful.”

“Maybe so, but did it work?”

Kat sighed dramatically.  “It did, but at what cost?  That tea was all I could taste for days, it was unbelievably strong.”

Pipper paused.  “Wait, if that blend is incredibly strong, then what was the one you made for me when I was ill?”

“That one was root remedy, another one Dad learned on his travels.  It works well for mild sickness.  You just had a mild fever, so I figured it was the better choice that day.  If you ever catch anything like this I would make you cinder flower though.  And then you’ll know my pain.”  Kat smirked.

“Well, luckily for you I don’t know how to make that particular tea.”  She ladled some of the soup into a bowl.  “So instead of overly strong tea, you get spicy soup.  Seriously, I speak from experience when I say it will effectively clear your sinuses.”  She put the bowl in front of Kat, taking a seat next to her. 

Kat pulled a face as she ate a mouthful.  “Yes, I see what you mean.  Though, it tastes infinitely better than cinder flower tea does.”  She took another spoonful.  “Actually, once you get past the strength of the cayenne it’s quite lovely.”

Pipper smiled.  “I’ll have to teach you how to make it then.  And maybe you can show me how to make those teas.”

Kat smiled back.  “I’d like that.”

 

Pipper was pleased the next morning to discover that Kat’s fever was almost completely gone.  Though Kat insisted she felt fine and really should be going into work, Pipper steadfastly refused.

“You need to rest and allow your body to recover,” she insisted as pulled her blazer on.  “Give it today and then maybe tomorrow you could go back as long as you promise to take it easy.”

Kat pouted.  “Fine.  But what am I supposed to do all day?”

Pipper chuckled.  “Knowing you, come up with more impossible puzzles for me to solve.”

“Hey, they’re not impossible.  Sherl solved that last one you know,” Kat retorted.

Pipper rolled her eyes.  “Yes, because that’s supposed to make me feel better about my intelligence.”  She picked up her bag before turning to give Kat a quick kiss.  “I won’t be at the office long at any rate.  I have a meeting I need to attend and then I took the rest of the day off.  I should be home within a few hours.”

Kat frowned.  “Aren’t people going to question you taking this much time away from the office at once?”

Pipper shrugged.  “Probably.  I told Hessie not to lie if anyone asked though, so if someone does ask she’ll just let them know that my partner is sick so that’s why I’ve been away.”  She picked up her bag and the files she had brought home.  “I know we decided to keep our relationship private other than to our friends at least for now, but I don’t want to lie about the fact that I am in a relationship.  I hope that’s okay with you.”  Pipper bit her lip nervously.

Kat stepped forward, pulling Pipper into a slightly awkward hug, files getting in the way.  “Truthfully, I’ve mentioned the fact that I have a girlfriend on a case or two, so you’re not the only one.  We can keep our relationship private while still acknowledging our individual relationship statuses.”

“Have I mentioned that I love you yet today?”  Pipper gave Kat a loving smile.

“I love you too.”  Kat glanced at the clock.  “Now, not that I don’t love our heart to hearts, but you really need to get going or you’re going to be late.”

Pipper also glanced at the clock, eyes widening.  “Shoot, you’re right.  I’ll stop by your flat for a couple of things for you, okay?  See you in a few hours.”

Kat smirked.  “I’ll have a puzzle waiting for you.”

Pipper groaned, “of course you will.  Do I at least get a hint or two?”

Kat giggled.  “Maybe I’ll even give you three.  Now go before you’re late.”

“Yes, yes.”  Pipper gave Kat a quick kiss on the cheek.  “Love you,” she called over she shoulder as she headed out the door.

“Love you too,” Kat called back with a laugh as she closed the door behind Pipper.  Time for her to get started on that puzzle for Pipper.

Maybe though, she thought, she might make this one a bit easier than the last one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ernest is a good friend/assistant. And, of course, I had to slip in the tea from diabolical box somehow 
> 
> Anyway next chapter should be tomorrow, only two more left! (Unless someone wants to maybe send me some prompts...)


	15. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat gets hurt and she and Pipper clash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [looks at summary] well it couldn't always be all sunshine and rainbows now could it?
> 
> No worries, there's no violence or anything. We also get another appearance from the Mystery Room crew! (that makes up for the angst, yeah?)
> 
> Here we go!

Pipper should have known that her day had been too good to be true.

That day’s council meeting had been a complete success, the new project she had proposed to increase the city’s greenspace had been met with complete support from all councillors despite Pipper expecting at least a few to protest.

All in all, she had had a pretty good day.

Then, her phone rang just as she was getting ready to leave for the evening.  She contemplated not answering but, in the end, picked it up with a sigh.  “Mayor Lowonida.”

“Pipper?  Thank God, it’s Alfendi.”

Pipper frowned at his tone of voice.  “What’s going on?”

“Okay, don’t panic, but Katrielle’s in the hospital.”

Pipper felt panic flare through her anyway.  “She’s _what?_ ”

“Pipper, everything is okay -”

“Like hell it is,” Pipper cut Alfendi off.  “Where is she?”

“St. Thomas’”

“I’ll be there in twenty.”  Pipper hung up before he could respond.  She grabbed her bag, pausing only long enough to grab a scarf out of her desk before rushing out the door.  This was not a time for her to be recognized and her relationship made public knowledge.  Right now, she needed to focus on Kat without distraction.

 

Alfendi was pacing the hospital waiting room.  No matter how hard he tried, he could not get the image of his younger sister with blood caked in her hair and streaked across her forehead, lying in a hospital bed hardly conscious out of his head.

“She’s going to be fine, Al,” Lucy said from her seat.  “Kat’s tough, she’s not gonna let summat like this bring her down.”

Al paused his pacing.  “I know she is, but I can’t get her lying in that bed out of my mind.”  He sighed.

“Come sit.”  Al obliged, and Lucy wrapped her arms around him.  “It kills me to see her this way too, but you need to stay calm for her sake.”

Al sighed again.  “Honestly, I think that’s the only reason my other side has stayed at bay so far, he’s not calm at all.  Not that I’m particularly relaxed either.  Did Ernest say what happened?”

“Best I could tell, Kat went after a suspect by herself and he clobbered her in the head.  Ernest were a little shaken up.”  The man in question had disappeared once Al and Lucy had appeared and promised to let him know once they heard anything; Inspector Hastings having requested his presence at Scotland Yard to take care of the situation.

“Pipper’s going to have a fit when she hears that.”

“I don’t doubt it.”  Lucy frowned.  “Speaking of Pipper…”

“She should be here any minute, she left as soon as I called her.”  As if on cue, Pipper came around the corner, sunglasses still on and hair covered with a scarf.  Al raised an eyebrow at her appearance.

“Trying to avoid the media recognizing me, Kat and I are trying to keep our relationship private and me rushing to the hospital because she’s been injured isn’t exactly inconspicuous,” she explained, removing the sunglasses.  “Which brings me to, what the _hell_ happened?”

Lucy repeated what Ernest had told her, exchanging a concerned glance with Al as Pipper grew deadly calm.

“Where is she now?”  Pipper’s calmness was almost unnerving.

“They took her for a CAT scan to check for any internal injury.”  Al responded just as a doctor stepped into the waiting room.

“Katrielle Layton?”  The trio got up and joined him.  “All in all, Miss Layton is quite lucky.  The bump on her head is going to hurt for a while, but the wound required minimal stitching and she only has a mild concussion.  She’s been prescribed some mild painkillers and is ready to go whenever the papers are signed.  We just need to know that someone will be staying with her for tonight.”

“I’ll be with her.”  Pipper responded immediately.  “Anything I need to know?”

“Make sure she takes her painkillers, the biggest thing she needs right now is rest so that her head can heal and she won’t be able to sleep if she’s in too much pain.”

Al frowned.  “I thought you were supposed to wake someone with a concussion every couple of hours.”

The doctor shook his head.  “That’s been proven to not help.  A young child you should wake, but a grown adult should be left to sleep as that’s what a head injury really requires.”

Pipper nodded.  “Make sure she takes her meds and gets some sleep, got it.  Can we see her?”

The doctor nodded.  “She’s in the room just over there,” he gestured to a door, “and a nurse will be by with the papers so you can take her home.”

Al shook the doctor’s hand.  “Thank you.”  With that the three went into the room he indicated, where Kat was sitting up on the bed, bandage on her head.

“Why do you all look so grim?  It’s not like I’m dying, I just have a bit of a bump on my head.”  Kat quipped with a grin, taking in everyone’s expressions.

Pipper was immediately wrapped around Kat.  “Don’t scare us like that again.”  Though she had her face buried in Kat’s neck, the others could hear the tears in her voice, the fear she had been feeling since getting Al’s call seeping through her previously calm exterior.

“Getting that call was terrifying.”  Potty had broken through but was more subdued than usual.  “What were you thinking, you stupid girl?”

“That I couldn’t let that suspect get away, not after what he had done.”  Kat gave Al a steely look.  “And don’t you dare tell me you wouldn’t have done the exact same thing.”

“Fine.  I won’t tell you that.  But next time, wait for back up.”  Al glared back at her.

“Oh, that is rich coming from you -”

“Enough.”  Pipper cut the bickering siblings off.  She detangled herself from Kat, giving both her and Al a hard look.  “You two can fight over this another time.  For now, let’s get those papers dealt with so I can take Kat home and she can rest.”  Al and Lucy exchanged a slightly uneasy glance at the hard tone Pipper had taken on, but everyone nodded.  “Good.  I’m going to go bring my car around, I’ll meet you all out front.”  With that, Pipper got up and left the room.

“Uh oh,” Kat breathed.  Al and Lucy both raised an eyebrow at her.  “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her that angry.”

“Fear can do that to people,” Lucy mused.  “It manifests in different ways depending on the person and you gave us all a right ol’ fright today.”

“I’m sorry,” Kat mumbled, casting her eyes down.

“The only person that should be sorry is the bastard who did this to you.”  Al griped.  “I swear, if I ever get my hands on him…”

“Steady on, Prof.  I’m sure he’ll be in custody before long.”  She turned to Kat, pulling her into a hug.  “In the meantime, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Placid regained control.  Al sat down next to Kat, pulling both her and Lucy into his arms.  “As am I.  Now we best get a move on before Pipper starts to worry.”

 

The ride home had been a silent affair.  Pipper had kept her eyes glued on the road and a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel.  Al and Lucy sat awkwardly in the backseat, exchanging the occasional uncomfortable glance until Pipper dropped them off at Al’s flat.  They quickly exited the car, Al telling Kat to call him the next day, and Kat and Pipper continued onto Pipper’s place.

The silence continued for the remainder of the drive, following them into the house.  Pipper stayed glued to Kat’s side as they made their way into the kitchen, the fright having won out over the anger from before.  “Leftovers okay?”  She finally said after a few moments.

Kat nodded against Pipper’s shoulder.  “I’m not overly hungry so whatever is fine.”

Panic washed over Pipper again, she pulled back so she could see Kat’s face, looking over her in concern.  “What’s wrong?”  She ran a hand along Kat’s face, taking care to avoid her wound.

“Just a bit of residual nausea from getting hit in the head.”  Kat caught Pipper’s hand with her own.  “I’m okay, I promise.”

Pipper’s breath hitched in her throat.  “I was so scared.”  Her voice broke.  “When I got the call from Alfendi,” she choked, unable to finish her thought.

Kat hushed her gently, pulling her into a hug.  “I am so sorry,” her voice was hardly more than a whisper.  “I never wanted to scare you like that.  But I’m here and I’m okay, I’m not going anywhere, alright?”

Pipper nodded, wiping her eyes.  “Why don’t we eat and then go to bed?  I think we’ve both had enough excitement for one day and you need to rest.”

“Sounds good to me.  Honestly, I want nothing more than to collapse in bed right now.”  Kat yawned.

“So food, pain meds for you, and then bed.  Good plan.”  Pipper pecked Kat on the cheek before moving to get the food.  Kat watched her in concern, something about Pipper had seemed off since Kat first saw her at the hospital and she had a hunch that the anger she had seen earlier would make a reappearance at some point.

That night though, the fear seemed to continue winning as Pipper held her tighter than normal.

 

When Kat awoke the next morning, she felt much better than the day before, save for the inevitable headache, glad that she would be able to go to work.

“Absolutely not.”  Pipper had come back into the room and seen Kat getting ready for work.  “No way, not happening.  Go back to bed.”

Kat frowned.  “I’m perfectly capable of going to work.  Besides, there’s a lot of paperwork that needs to get done in relation to my last case that’s time sensitive.”

“What part of you’re supposed to be resting do you not understand?”  Kat concealed a wince as she heard Pipper’s tone of voice.  Looks like the anger was back.

“It’s not like I’ll be going out, I just need to get paperwork done so I’ll be in the office all day.”  She gave Pipper a hard look.  “I know my limits, Pipper, I’m fine to do this.”

“Really?  You know your limits?  I find that hard to believe considering you decided you could take on a suspect _by yourself_ yesterday.  I mean, God, what were you thinking?”  Pipper seethed.

“That suspect had been tormenting my client, if you think I was going to let him get away you don’t know me at all.”  Kat threw back, feeling her own anger grow.

“What part of that makes sacrificing your own well-being worth it?  Did you even take a second to think about what could happen if you went after a suspect without any back up?”  Pipper was yelling now.

“Of course I did,” Kat yelled back.  “But letting the suspect get away wasn’t worth waiting.  And that was _my_ decision, not anyone else’s.  I was the one on the line, I knew what I was doing, what’s so wrong about that?”

“Your decisions don’t affect only you, they impact those around you as well.”  Pipper was beginning to shake with anger at this point.

“You think I don’t know that?”  Kat glared at Pipper.  “What I’m getting from this is that you don’t trust me to handle myself out there.”

Pipper resisted the urge to throw something.  “Of course I trust you to handle yourself, it’s the consequences I don’t think you’re thinking of.  Did you even think about what it would do to your brother if anything were to happen to you?  What about your sister, how do you think she would feel being told something like that over the phone while there’s an ocean between you two?”  Pipper’s anger continued to mount as she ranted.  “How would your father feel if he were to come back and find out his youngest child is dead?”  Pipper deflated, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth.  “Kat -”

“I’m going to work.”  Kat’s face was unreadable as she stalked past Pipper, slamming the front door a moment later.  Pipper sighed, grabbing her blazer and also making her way out the door.

She too had work to do after all.

 

Kat sighed, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time in an hour.  The paperwork had gone pretty much nowhere, it seemed all she could focus on was the fight she and Pipper had had that morning.

She heard the door open and looked up, confused.  She had given Ernest the day off, wanting nothing more than to be alone, and she was not expecting any clients much less, “Hilda!”

Hilda crossed the room and swept Kat into a hug.  “I came as soon as I heard, are you okay?”  She held Kat at arm’s length, looking over her to observe her wellbeing.

“I’m okay,” Kat said, gripping Hilda’s hand and squeezing it.

Hilda raised an eyebrow.  “No, you’re not.”

Kat sighed.  “I’ve never been able to get anything past you.”

“Let’s sit down,” Hilda said softly.  The two made their way to the couch.  “What happened?”

Kat looked down, clutching a pillow to her chest.  “Pipper and I had a fight.”

“What about?”  Hilda rubbed Kat’s arm comfortingly.

“What happened.  I don’t think she trusts me, Hilda.”  Kat swallowed, trying to choke back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Hey now,” Hilda pulled Kat into her arms, “I doubt that’s true.  What makes you think that?”

Kat relayed her and Pipper’s argument that morning, sobbing into Hilda’s shoulder by the end.  Hilda stayed silent as Kat spoke, rubbing her back soothingly as she choked over her words.

“You know,” Hilda said after a few minutes had elapsed, “it sounds to me as though it’s not that she doesn’t trust you, it’s that she was scared and had her walls up.”

“What do you mean?”  Kat wiped her eyes, confused.

“Think about what she said.  Your decisions don’t just affect you, how would your brother, your sister, or your father feel?  That last one was a low blow, I’ll admit, but there was an unspoken question in what she said.”  Hilda explained, stroking Kat’s hair.

Kat startled.  “Unspoken question?”

“I think Pipper was trying to deflect from her own fears on the subject.  She asked you how your family would feel to avoid thinking about how she would feel if she were to lose you.”  Hilda mused.  “That woman loves you, Katrielle, and she came too close to losing you for comfort yesterday; she’s on the defence.”  She paused, thoughtfully.  “It was too close for comfort for all of us, really.”

Tears pricked at Kat’s eyes again.  “I know, I should have thought more before doing what I did.  I still stand by my decision though.”

“As you should.”  Hilda brushed a stray tear from Kat’s cheek.  “What you did yesterday was incredibly brave and I’m proud of you for it, I just ask that you think of those of us who love you next time, okay?”  Kat nodded.  “Good.  Love you, Kit Kat.”

Kat smiled at the old childhood nickname.  “Love you too.”  The two exchanged an embrace.  “I guess I better go find Pipper, huh?”

Hilda shook her head.  “Knowing Pipper she’s at work, and the conversation you two need to have is not a workplace one.  Go back to hers, I’m sure she won’t be far behind.  I doubt either of you have been able to focus today.”  She gestured to the unfinished paperwork on Kat’s desk.

Kat nodded.  “Good idea.  Thank you, Hilda.”

Hilda smiled fondly.  “Anytime kiddo, anytime.”

 

Hilda’s prediction had been right.  Pipper had given up on trying to work down a while ago, opting to instead curl up in her chair with her old teddy bear, not that it was providing much comfort at the moment.

“Now that’s a sight I haven’t seen in a long time.”  Pipper snapped out of her reverie to see that Phineas had come into the office unnoticed.  “I don’t think I’ve seen you turn to that old bear for comfort since you and Katrielle started dating, you’ve always turned to her since then.”  He came further into the room, taking a seat across from Pipper.

Pipper swallowed back tears.  “We had a fight.”

“Want to talk about it?”  Phineas asked in concern.

Pipper quickly summarized her and Kat’s argument, silent tears streaming down her face.  “She thinks I don’t trust her, Phineas, what am I supposed to do?”

“Tell her the truth.”  Pipper gave Phineas an incredulous look.  “Tell her that you do trust her, but that you came so close to losing her that it scared you.  You asked her about her family but what you really meant was had she thought about what it would do to you if you were to lose her, wasn’t it?”

Pipper chuckled wanly.  “You’ve always seen right through me.”

Phineas laughed.  “I’ve known you since you were a baby, Pipper, of course I always see through you.”  He sobered.  “You also owe Kat an apology, you of all people know that the comment about her father was uncalled for.”

Pipper sighed.  “I know, I shouldn’t have said it.  I let my emotions get the better of me and regretted it as soon as I did, not that that is an excuse.”

Phineas shook his head.  “It isn’t, but I have no doubts that Kat will forgive you.”

“I hope so.”  Pipper clutched the bear tighter.  “Thank you, Phineas.”

Phineas nodded.  “I’m always here for you, Pip.  Now, why don’t you head home?  You’re clearly not getting any work done here and I’m sure Kat will come find you when she’s ready.”

Pipper glanced at her desk and sighed again. “You’re absolutely right again.  I guess it’s time to head home.”

Phineas reached over and patted her on the shoulder.  “Everything is going to work out.”

Pipper smiled slightly.  “I do hope you’re right.”

 

Pipper walked into the house, surprised to hear the soft sound of the radio coming from the living room.   Looks like Kat was there.  Pipper faltered for a moment, anxious over what was to come, before shaking it off and ducking upstairs to change out of work clothing before finally entering the living room.

Kat looked up as Pipper entered, the two silently looking at each other for a few moments, both with red-rimmed eyes.

Kat finally spoke.  “I’m sor -”

“No,” Pipper cut her off.  “I should have been honest with you this morning.”  Pipper sat next to Kat, clasping her hand.  “I said some things I shouldn’t have because I was trying not to think about my feelings on the topic.”  She took a deep breath.  “Truth is last night made me realize just how much I cannot lose you.  I know you can handle yourself out there, but I’m so scared that one day it will be worse than you just getting hit in the head.  I don’t know what I’d do.”  A lone tear slid down Pipper’s cheek.

“And you were right, I should have given that more thought.”  Kat reached over to brush the tear from Pipper’s cheek.  “It was impulsive, and I need to remember that if I get hurt it’s not just me that is affected.  I shouldn’t have said that you don’t trust me, I know you do.  Making that comment was uncalled for and I apologize.”

“And my comment about your father was also completely uncalled for.  I’m so sorry.”  Pipper reached over to stroke Kat’s hair, Kat instead gripping her arm and pulling her in to an embrace.

“I won’t lie, that comment really hurt, but I’m sure my trust comment did too.  Can we agree to just be honest next time something occurs?  Because I don’t want to fight anymore.”  Kat tightened her grip, speaking into Pipper’s neck.

“Honestly, I’ve spent so much of my life with my walls up that I can’t promise that, but I do promise to try my best because today has been awful and I don’t want a repeat.”  Pipper also gripped Kat tighter.  “I can’t lose you,” she repeated.

“And you’re not going to, I’m not going anywhere as long as you still want me.”  Kat pulled back from the hug, so she could kiss Pipper softly.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.”  Pipper leaned her forehead against Kat’s.  “How’s the head doing?  You need anything?”

“A bit of a headache but that’s to be expected.”  Kat shrugged.  “Honestly all I need right now is a shower to wash the last 24 hours away.  Care to join me?”

Pipper grinned.  “Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I will admit I'm no medical professional so I may be a little off in some cases but I have had a couple minor concussions myself and gone to work the next day so I wouldn't call it unrealistic personally - head wounds tend to look worse than they are because of how many blood vessels are located on your head. Also I looked up hospitals in London so that one actually exists (can't remember where in the city it is though lol)
> 
> Anyway, final currently written chapter tomorrow and then I guess we'll see after that...


	16. Private (explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it's Pipper's birthday and Kat proves she's just as much of schemer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the final chapter... I mean I would like to write more for these two but I really don't know if it's worth it at this point tbh :/
> 
> Anyway, today we have Pipper's birthday accompanied by Kat's grand scheme. Rating is for one scene in the middle

One thing Katrielle had learned over the course of her relationship with Pipper was that, while she was all for parties and showering others in attention, she did not like being the centre of attention herself.

_“Really?”_   Kat had asked.  _“Don’t you spend a great deal of time as the centre of attention being the mayor?  Not to mention there’s your status as a Dragon.”_

_“Necessary evil.”  Pipper shrugged.  “I put up with it because I love my job.  And well, there are reasons why I don’t like advertising my status as a Dragon.”_

_“Fair enough.”  Kat smirked.  “So, I guess no birthday party for you then?”_

_Pipper laughed.  “No, thank you.  I’d rather do something quiet.”_

Kat had kept that in mind, eventually deciding on a weekend getaway for the two of them.  It had been a long time since either of them had taken any time away from work, and Pipper had had a lot going on in recent months.  A weekend getaway would be the perfect way for her to decompress and for them to spend some quality time together.

And, admittedly, their sex life had suffered recently because of how exhausted work had been leaving them both, and Kat was hoping a weekend away from real life would help with that.

Kat had told Pipper to pack a bag Thursday evening, only giving her a few vague clues so she could properly pack for the weekend without giving away what they would be doing or where they would be going.  Now, she was on her way to Guildhall to pick Pipper up for their excursion.

Pipper was waiting on the steps when the cab pulled up to the curb.  She quickly made her way down the steps and into the cab.  “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?”  She asked as soon as she had shut the cab door.

“Nope,” Kat said with a smirk.  “I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait until we get there.”  Pipper pouted and Kat laughed.  “I’m afraid the puppy dog pout isn’t going to work with me, you’re still going to have to wait.”

Pipper crossed her arms with a huff.  “Fine.”  She looked at Kat and the two burst out laughing.  “God, I cannot keep a straight face.”  Pipper choked out between giggles.  “Good thing that’s not something I would ever have to try at work.”

“Could you imagine the reaction people would have if the mayor of London were to pull out the puppy dog pout?”  Kat giggled again.  “I’m not sure anyone would believe it.”

“Probably not, no.”  Pipper paused.  “Can I at least get a hint as to where we’re going?”

“We’ve got a two-hour train ride ahead of us, and that’s all I’m saying for now.”  Kat responded as the cab pulled up to King’s Cross.  She quickly paid the driver and grabbed their bags, indicating for Pipper to follow her.  They made their way inside, Kat presented their tickets to an attendant who told them their platform.  Once they were on the platform, Pipper made a dive for the tickets, attempting to swipe them from Kat’s hand.  Kat just held them out of reach, laughing.  “Nuh uh, Pipper.  What part of surprise do you not get?”

“But Kat,” Pipper whined as she made another attempt to grab the tickets.  “I’m going to find out once we’re on the train anyway.”

“Then you’ll just have to wait until then.”  Kat held them out of reach of another attempt with a laugh.  “Have I ever mentioned how cute you are when you pout?”

Pipper just continued to pout at her.  “Fine.  You win this round.  I will get you back for this though.”

Kat smirked.  “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

The train arrived then, and the pair boarded it, finding their compartment and stowing their bags away, settling in for the journey ahead of them.  Kat tried to distract Pipper once the conductor came over the speaker but failed as Pipper distracted her in turn with a kiss, listening intently to what was being said.

“York?”  Pipper questioned once the speaker had gone silent again and she had pulled back.  What on Earth was in York?

“Damn,” Kat said.  “Here I thought I’d managed to distract you.”  She sighed dramatically.  “Fine, York is where our stop is, but you’ll still have to wait to find out our final destination.”

Pipper shrugged.  “I’ll take what I can get.”

The train ride was uneventful.  Pipper relaxed as they got out of London, taking the scarf out of her hair, lying across Kat’s lap and falling asleep, lulled by the motion of the train.  Kat spent the ride reading the paper, eventually putting it aside to watch Pipper as she slept, running her fingers through her hair.

Pipper stirred as the train pulled into the station.  “Were you watching me sleep?”  She blinked, slightly disoriented.  “You sap.”

Kat smirked.  “Hey now, I was just watching to make sure you didn’t drool on my skirt.”  She shrieked as Pipper poked her in the side.

“You sap,” Pipper repeated as she sat up and stretched.  “So where to now?”  She asked with a yawn.

“Next, we take a cab to our accommodations for the weekend.”  Kat smirked as Pipper sent her a slight glare.  “I’m still not telling you where we’re going.”

“Have I ever mentioned that you’re no fun?”  Pipper tried to glare at Kat again, but the smile in her voice gave her away.

“On the contrary, I’m having a lot of fun.”  Kat grabbed their bags with a laugh.  “Well come on then!”

Pipper gave Kat an exaggerated sigh but followed.  They made their way out of the station and caught a cab, Kat giving the driver an address on a piece of paper.  As the cab pulled out of the lot, Pipper raised an eyebrow at Kat.  “Seriously?  You’re not even going to tell me the address?”

Kat put her hands behind her head and leaned back, a smug grin on her face.  “Nope, I’m afraid you’re just going to have to wait until we get there.”

Pipper groaned.  “I’m going to make you sleep on the couch for a week at this rate,” she griped.

Kat’s grin grew.  “No big deal, I’d just go back to mine.”

Pipper rolled her eyes.  “Of course, you would.”

The remainder of the cab ride passed in a comfortable silence, Pipper simply raising an eyebrow at Kat as they travelled further out of the town and into the forest.  Kat just shook her head, indicating that Pipper was still going to have to wait.

Finally, they pulled up to a remote cabin.  Kat paid the driver as Pipper got out and looked around.  Other than the small road that was a few hundred feet away, all she could see was trees.  Kat joined her after a moment, carrying their bags.  “So, this is your big surprise, huh?”

“A weekend getaway where no one can bother us with work.  I figured we could both use it, and it seemed like a perfect way to celebrate your birthday.”  Kat gave Pipper a hesitant look.  “I hope this is okay.”

Pipper just looked at Kat for a moment before sweeping her into a hug.  “It’s perfect.”

Kat felt the tension leave her shoulders.  “I’m glad.  So, am I forgiven for not telling you?”

Pipper laughed.  “All is forgiven.”  She leaned forward to kiss Kat.

“Phew.”  Kat wiped her forehead jokingly.  “Now that I’ve confirmed I’m not in the doghouse, why don’t we head inside?  I figure we can take a little time to get settled and then go for a walk.  There’s a clearing not too far from here and the sky’s supposed to be clear tonight.  How does a little stargazing sound?”

Pipper smiled widely.  “It sounds absolutely perfect.”

The interior of the cabin was beautiful, Pipper noted as they entered.  It was rustic, but it came fully furnished, complete with a wood stove in a small kitchen, a fireplace surrounded by couches and a completely set up bedroom.  There were even a few modern amenities that had Pipper raising an eyebrow.

“It’s off the grid but there are a few natural power sources it makes use of.”  Kat shrugged.

The pair changed into hiking gear, Kat packing a backpack with a few snacks, a couple torches, and a blanket, and they set off into the darkening forest.  Kat took Pipper’s hand as she led the way through the trees, coming to a clearing about fifteen minutes later.

Pipper looked around in amazement as Kat laid out the blanket on the ground.  “How did you even know this was here?”

“Dad used to bring me up here when I was younger.  He taught me how to find my way using things like the position of the sun and the stars.”  Kat patted the blanket next to her.  “Come, sit.  The stars should be out in full force shortly and they’re beautiful up here.”

Pipper obliged, sitting down and cuddling up to Kat as they waited for the sky to finish getting dark.  Kat pulled out a bag of trail mix and the pair passed it back and forth, chatting idly about their days.  Soon the stars started to come out and they laid back on the blanket to observe the night sky above them.

“How much do you know about the stars?”  Pipper asked Kat once they had been gazing up at the sky for a while.

“A fair amount.  See that formation up there?”  Kat pointed to a series of stars, Pipper following the eyeline created by Kat’s finger.  “That’s Pegasus.  And that one over there?”  She pointed out another formation.  “That’s Aquarius.  Over there is Andromeda, and Capricornus, and Pisces.”  Kat indicated each of the constellations as she spoke.

“Did your father teach you this?”  Pipper asked softly, still looking up at the various constellations.

“Alfendi actually.  He got permission from Dean Delmona to take me up to the university’s observatory after Dad disappeared.  I think he had hoped it would distract me from everything going on.”  Kat chuckled.  “Plus, it made use of that astronomy minor he got when in school.”

Pipper turned her head towards Kat, raising an eyebrow.  “He minored in astronomy?”

Kat nodded.  “Al’s super smart and needs to be kept busy.  He double majored in Criminology and Forensics and took a minor because he wanted a challenge and enjoys astronomy.”

“Remind me to never challenge Al to trivia,” Pipper deadpanned.  Kat burst out laughing, Pipper following suit.  “Hey look, a shooting star.”  Pipper pointed to a streak across the sky.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  Kat sighed in content, snuggling closer to Pipper.

“Yeah,” Pipper said, an idea formulating in her head.  “Have you ever wanted to make love under the stars?”

“Wha-” was all Kat could manage before Pipper rolled on top of her, blocking her view of the sky.  “Pipper, we’re in the middle of a clearing in the woods.”

“So?  There’s no one around for miles.”  Pipper moved to tease the sensitive spot behind Kat’s ear with her lips.

“Well, no, I guess there isn’t.”  Kat squirmed under Pipper’s ministrations.

Pipper pulled back slightly.  “We don’t have to if you’re not comfortable.”

Kat pulled Pipper back down for a kiss.  “No, it’s not that.  It’s just – honestly, I’ve never been this adventurous before.”  She toyed with the waistband of Pipper’s pants.

“Are you sure you want to?”  Pipper’s breath hitched as Kat hit a particularly sensitive spot on her hip.

Kat slipped her hand past the waistband, quickly finding the moist warmth underneath.  “Does that answer your question?”  She giggled as Pipper groaned, teasing the other woman’s clit for a moment before pushing two fingers past her folds.

Pipper mewled above Kat, hips bucking impatiently.  “More,” she gasped.  Kat obliged, adding another finger and picking up the pace slightly.  Her moans grew louder as she drew ever closer to the edge.  Kat used her free hand to pull Pipper down into a messy kiss, swallowing Pipper’s cry of ecstasy as the waves of pleasure crashed over her.

Pipper broke the kiss, panting as she collapsed on top of Kat.  “You never cease to amaze me, you know that?”  Kat giggled, dropping a kiss on Pipper’s hair.  “Give me a moment to recover and then it’s your turn.”  She turned so she could look up at the sky, Kat’s fingers weaving through her hair as she caught her breath.

Once a couple minutes had passed she hoisted herself back up, moving to kiss Kat deeply, slotting her own thigh between Kat’s.  Kat cussed softly as Pipper pressed up against her, feeling the ache between her legs grow.  Pipper moved Kat’s skirt up, pulling down her tights and underwear enough to give her easy access before immediately delving in.

“Fuck, Pipper,” Kat moaned as Pipper hit a sweet spot, taking a second to tease it as she savoured the sounds Kat was making.  Pipper started to pump her fingers a bit faster, taking care to hit that spot each time, as she felt Kat start to tense around her.  When she was nearly there, Pipper applied pressure to Kat’s clit, causing Kat to fall apart beneath her, legs shaking as her orgasm washed over her, groaning Pipper’s name.

Pipper rolled off of Kat, curling up against her side as the two gazed up at the sky once more.  “So, how was being adventurous?”  She shivered in the coolness of the night, curling further into Kat, seeking warmth.

Kat chuckled.  “I would certainly be open to being adventurous again, that was incredible.”

“Are you sure it isn’t how long it’s been since we last went at it talking?”  Pipper asked teasingly, shrieking with laughter as Kat tickled her side.

“Positive.  Besides, I’m sure we’ll make up for it this weekend.”  She winked at Pipper, who blushed.  “For now, though,” Kat stretched her back with a groan, “I think it’s time we head back to the cabin.  My back is aching from the ground and I know you’re cold.”  Pipper shivered again, as if illustrating her point.

“You’re probably right.”  Pipper sat up, pulling Kat with her.  They quickly folded the blanket back up and fixed their disheveled clothing before standing to head back, Kat groaning as they did.  “A little sore?”  Pipper giggled.

“Ground’s a little uneven,” Kat stretched again with an audible pop, “and hard.  Nothing a good night’s sleep in a proper bed can’t fix though.”

Pipper gave Kat a sultry look.  “I could give you a massage if you wanted.”

Kat gave her playful look in return.  “Maybe another time, it’s your birthday weekend after all, if anyone should get a massage, it’s you.”

“I might just have to take you up on that,” Pipper said with a wink.  “Now, which way are we going?”  She looked around them, unsure of the direction from which they came.

“Hmm, I’m not sure.”  Kat tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“Katrielle,” Pipper’s voice held a warning in it.

Kat held up her hands.  “Kidding.  It’s this way.”  She set off, Pipper rolling her eyes as she followed.

 

Pipper awoke the next morning to the sun on her face and Kat wrapping her arms around her from behind.  “Happy birthday, my love.”  She kissed Pipper’s neck.

Pipper hummed in content.  “Now this is a wakeup I could get used to.”

“Well, it’s as you said.  Your birthday should be the happiest day of the year and you should always be the centre of attention.”  Another kiss.  “I plan on making that happen today.”

“Mhmm, I do like the sound of that.”  Pipper turned her head so Kat’s lips could meet her own.  “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

“Well that’s up to you.”  Kat pushed Pipper’s fringe out of her eyes.  “I know plenty of hiking trails if you want to go hiking.  Or we could hang out here if you desired.”

“Could we hang out here for a while first?  I’d like to go hiking later but right now I just want a lazy morning.”

“Sounds perfect.”  Kat gave Pipper a quick peck.  “Are you hungry?  I could make breakfast.”

A sly look came over Pipper’s face.  “How about we satisfy a different sort of hunger?”

“Oh?”  Kat smirked.  “Well, I guess it is whatever the birthday girl wants right now.”

Pipper flipped her onto her back.  “Like you’re complaining,” she retorted, silencing any comeback Kat had with a kiss.

 

It was early afternoon when the couple emerged from the cabin.  Pipper took a deep breath, relishing the crispness of the autumn air and the warmth of the sun on her face.  “So, where to?”

“There’s an outlook about an hour’s walk from here.”  Kat glanced up at the sky.  “Sky’s clear and the sun won’t set for several hours yet, I figure it’s a good destination.  What do you think?”

“Sounds lovely.”  Pipper smiled at Kat.  “Lead the way.”  Kat smiled back, taking Pipper’s hand and setting off.

The hike passed largely in silence as the pair absorbed their surroundings, pointing out the occasional animal or interesting plant, until the arrived at the outlook.

“Oh wow,” Pipper breathed as she took in the view: a crystal blue lake surrounded by a cliff face, which was covered with evergreen trees as far as the eye could see.  “It’s beautiful.”

“Coming to this spot was always the highlight of my weekends up here with Dad.”  Kat slipped an arm around Pipper’s waist.  “I’ve been wanting to bring you here since we started dating and today provided the perfect opportunity.”  She pulled something out of a pocket of her backpack and handed it to Pipper.  “Happy birthday.”

“I thought I said no gifts?”  Pipper accepted the package with a raised eyebrow.

Kat shrugged.  “Technically yes, but I figured I could pull the girlfriend card and ignore that.”

Pipper rolled her eyes, opening the package to reveal a small pendent in the shape of a magnifying glass.  “Oh, Katrielle…”

“Do you like it?”  Kat asked shyly.

“It’s perfect.”  Pipper felt tears prick at the backs of her eyes.  “Put it on me?”  Kat obliged, sweeping Pipper’s hair over her shoulder and out of the way before clasping the pendant around her neck.  Pipper touched it gently.  “I love it,” she turned so she was facing Kat, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”  The pair exchanged a sweet kiss.  “It looks beautiful on you.”

Pipper looked down with a smile.  “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it.  Despite the so-called ‘no-gift’ rule I couldn’t resist it when I saw it.”

Pipper tilted her head back up to kiss Kat again.  “You know, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you lately.  You’re not obligated to say yes though.”  She bit her lip, looking at Kat hesitantly. 

Kat gave her a curious look.  “Anything.”

Pipper took a deep breath, steeling herself.  “Move in with me?  I mean officially.  You’re already there most nights anyway and the nights you aren’t get so lonely.  I know cases keep you late some nights, but we can work around that.  You could keep the flat as a base for when it’s too late to come home and I could help you with the rent if you needed it.  Or we could work something else out, I have no problems with you coming in late, in fact it helps me to relax knowing you’re okay.”  Pipper rambled on, seemingly in one breath, before Kat cut her off with a kiss.

“Breathe, Pipper.”  Kat smiled.  “Of course, I’ll move in with you.  Though, I have a few thoughts of my own when it comes to the flat and there’s one condition.”

“And what’s that?”  Pipper’s brow furrowed in worry.

“Sherl is going to have to come with me some nights, Ernest needs to be able to have a life and well, having a talking dog can really put a damper on things.”  Kat shrugged.

Pipper laughed in relief.  “Deal, but not every night.  As you said, having a talking dog can put a damper on things and I would like to be able to make love to my girlfriend without him being able to hear us.”

Kat smirked.  “Alright, guess Ernest and I better draw up a custody agreement.”  She caught Pipper’s eye and the two burst out laughing.

“Thank you,” Pipper said once they had sobered.  “For making this the best birthday I’ve had.”

“You know I’d do anything for you.”  Kat tucked a lock of hair behind Pipper’s ear.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.”  Pipper kissed her.

“Man, weekend away, an evening under the stars, moving in with you – how am I supposed to top this next year?”  Kat pouted.

Pipper laughed.  “I don’t care what it is or what we do, I just care that I get to spend the time with you.”  She caressed Kat’s cheek.

Kat smiled softly.  “I think I could arrange that.  Maybe we can make this trip an annual thing.”

“I like the sound of that.”  A mischievous glint came into Pipper’s eye.  “Now, how about we head back to the cabin?  I’d say we have some proper celebrating to do, don’t you?”

Kat grinned.  “I do believe you’re right.  Follow me.”  She took a giggling Pipper by the hand and lead her back into the forest.

She was right, a weekend away was exactly what the two of them had needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's that... I do have something of an idea for another chapter so hopefully I can find inspiration but I guess we'll see. I'm also down to receive prompts
> 
> Until next time, whenever that may be


	17. Riverside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> feat. Kat and Pipper's first Riverside Festival together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's this? an update? I'm shocked too. But I started lmj again so here we are
> 
> Anyway, brief reminder since the anime seems to have come to a conclusion recently that this fic is based on game canon (aka the cases from the game before the anime retconned them all)
> 
> Nothing more to this chapter than the summary so here we go!

It was nearing eleven at night when Pipper finally came in the door, collapsing on the couch next to Katrielle with a groan.

Kat put aside the book she had been reading to run her fingers through Pipper’s hair.  “Long day?”  She asked, sympathetically, taking in Pipper’s tired eyes, the dark shadows underneath them that had only been growing in the past week.

“You have no idea,” Pipper groaned again, snuggling into Kat’s side.  “I love the Riverside Festival so much, all this work is always worth it, but god the lead-up is always so exhausting.”

“You really do need to learn to delegate more,” Kat said with a smirk.

Pipper rolled her eyes.  “I am very much aware of that fact, I just never seem to be able to.”

“Guess we’ll need to work on that then.”

Pipper gave Kat a look.  “I’ll learn to delegate when you learn to clean and properly organize that disaster you call a desk.”

“Touché.”  Kat nudged Pipper, affectionately.  “But seriously, you’re not going to be able to enjoy the festival at all if you’re too stressed and exhausting from putting it together.  I love how passionate you are about it but how worth it is it really if you can’t properly appreciate the work you’ve put into it?”

Pipper raised an eyebrow.  “Since when are you so rational?”  She squeaked as Kat poked her.

“I’m a detective, of course I’m rational, comes with the territory.”

“I’m pretty sure Emiliana would beg to differ.”

Kat rolled her eyes.  “That woman has no rational or irrational side, she’s entirely logic, I don’t understand it sometimes.”

Pipper shrugged.  “It makes her good at what she does.”  Kat hummed.  “Anyway, enough about that, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”  A nervous look crossed Kat’s face.  “Nothing bad, I promise,” Pipper rushed to reassure her.  “But it is important.”

Kat nodded slowly.  “Okay, what is it you want to talk about?”

Pipper took a deep breath, steeling her nerves.  “I know it’s been a while since we talked about this, but I wanted to re-discuss us making our relationship public.”

“You do?”  This was not the conversation Kat had been expecting.

Pipper nodded.  “I do.  It really is only a matter of time before it ends up public anyway, Cesar told me just the other day that he’s been shutting down any and all rumours about us he can, but they really are starting to get quite frequent and I really would rather that it is announced on our terms and not the paparazzi’s.”

“I agree, we should definitely do it when it’s on our terms.  I assume you had something in mind.”  Kat looked at Pipper expectantly.

Pipper bit her lip.  “I may have signed us up for the Show of Devotion?”  Pipper pitched the statement as a question in her nervousness.  “You can absolutely say no and we can come up with something else, I just thought it would be a nice way and I’ve always wanted to one day participate in the show myself with someone I loved but it needs to be because we both wanted to do it, not just you going along because you think that’s what I want.”

Kat let Pipper ramble on, face not betraying any emotion, as she thought about it.  “Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do?”  Kat finally asked.  “That’s a big way of announcing and considering that you weren’t out to the rest of the Dragons before we told them about us, I doubt you’re out to the public.  You do understand the implications behind this, right?  People are going to make assumptions and speculate about your sexuality and those who oppose you will be very loud about it.”  Kat took Pipper’s hands in her own.  “I would love nothing more than to participate in the show with you, but I want to make sure that you’ve really thought this through first.”

Pipper balked.  Truth was she hadn’t thought of most of those things.  But she realized, as she gazed into Kat’s eyes, that she didn’t care.  “Let them,” she said after a long pause.  “I don’t care what they say, I can deal with anything they throw me as long as I have you by my side.”

“Sap,” was Kat’s automatic response, yelping as Pipper poked her.  “But in all seriousness, you can back out of this at any time, you’ll be the first of us to step out, I’ll take that as the final go ahead.”

“Deal.”  Pipper stifled a yawn as she spoke.

“Okay, bedtime.”  Kat stood, dragging Pipper up with her.  “You need to sleep if you’re going to continue to do everything yourself.”

“Is that a dig?”  Pipper mumbled tiredly.

“Not at all, just a statement of fact.”  She wrapped an arm around Pipper’s waist and started guiding her towards the stairs.  “Now come on, sleepyhead.”

 

The few weeks leading up the Riverside Festival passed in a blur.

Pipper, of course, kept herself busy nearly round the clock with festival preparations, overseeing the set-up of the stalls, finalization of the entertainment, and organizing of the Show of Devotion, while Kat also kept herself fairly busy with the few cases in her jurisdiction at the time and keeping Pipper from overworking herself when she wasn’t.

Still though, Pipper seemed intent on their participation in the Show of Devotion, not that they had managed to talk about it much with how busy they had both been.  But, since it was the night before the festival, Kat decided to change that.

“God, I needed that,” Pipper said as she rolled off Kat, the pair lying in a panting heap.  “I honestly don’t think I’ve realized how tense I’ve been these past few days.”

“Why do you think the first thing I did when you got home was get you naked?”  Kat smirked.  “Besides, I wanted you relaxed for the big day.”

Pipper smiled softly.  “Our first Riverside Festival together.  I can’t believe it actually starts tomorrow.”

“Hopefully you won’t be too swamped, and we’ll have a chance to walk around together.”

“There’s always the Show of Devotion,” Pipper pointed out.

“Which reminds me, you have given more thought to what I’ve said, right?”  Kat asked.  “You know I want nothing more than to do this with you, but it has a lot more implications for you than it does for me.”

Pipper raised an eyebrow.  “Are you certain of that?”

“I’m not exactly in the closet, nor am I as high a profile as you.”

“Touché.”  Pipper sighed.  “I have, and I won’t lie, I’m nervous about the whole thing, but I don’t want to hide you, to hide _us_ anymore.  I want to be able to go out together in public, to hold your hand as we go for a walk, kiss you when the mood strikes, all those cliché couple-y things, without having to worry about being spotted and therefore outed.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.”  A dopey smile crossed Kat’s face as she thought about the possibility.  “But that doesn’t change our arrangement.  You’re the first to go on stage, you can change your mind right up until the end.”

“I know,” Pipper yawned.  “Our deal is still on.”

“Good.”  Kat pulled Pipper closer, snuggling together.  “Now sleep, you need it.”

“Love you,” Pipper murmured, already halfway to sleep.

Kat kissed Pipper’s forehead with a smile, “love you too.”

 

It seemed as though the pair hadn’t even had time to blink before the day of the show was there.

The rest of the festival had gone off without a hitch – or any stunts requiring police involvement as Kat had remarked slyly the other night – and suddenly all that remained was the Show of Devotion and Pipper’s subsequent speech.

The Show of Devotion had gone through some revamping in recent years.  Pipper had wanted to make it so that each couple got their individual moment in the spotlight and so that they – and the audience – may hear what they each had to say so they should choose.  Many couples took advantage of the microphone provided but some chose to communicate in ways that had no use for it still.  To that avail, there were now tents on either side of the river where each member of the participating couples waited for their turn.

Which is where Pipper found herself now.

No one had seemed to pay her any mind as of yet.  Her involvement in the production of this particular show was infamous, it was likely everyone there thought she was overseeing the proceedings.

Of course, that would all change once she stepped out onto the stage.

Pipper steeled her nerves as she watched people slowly leave the tent one-by-one.  People of all different ages, ethnicities, sexualities, genders – Pipper always tried to make the show as diverse as possible, to give the audience a real taste of what London was like, an incredibly diverse city.  She just hadn’t imagined when she first was elected as mayor that she would be one of the people up on that stage showing London that true love could exist between two women.

Not that she was complaining, she wouldn’t trade Katrielle for anything.

Finally, Pipper’s turn came, Kat’s words rang through her mind, but she ignored them, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the tent into the spotlight.

A hush immediately fell over the crowd at the sight of their mayor, followed almost immediately by a low buzz as people speculated who she could possibly be appearing with.

A buzz which immediately disappeared once Kat stepped out on the other side of the river.

The buzz picked up again after a moment, not that Pipper noticed, she was too absorbed in the woman across the river from her.  It was almost surreal, her there, Kat there, participating in the Show of Devotion.

Surreal and yet Pipper was about ready to burst with happiness.

In the midst of Pipper’s musings, Kat caught her attention and proceeded to simply point at her face, her chest, and then across the river to Pipper.

Pipper raised an eyebrow, utterly perplexed as to what Kat was doing.  “Really, Katrielle?  A puzzle?  Now?”  The audience was silent now, watching them intently.

Kat simply smiled.  “You know the answer,” she replied, repeating her actions.

The answer dawned on Pipper, an exasperated but fond smile crossing her face as she returned the gesture, pointing to her eye, her heart, and Kat before holding up two fingers at the end to make her response appropriate.  The pair then simply gazed at each other for a few seconds more before their time was up and they had to exit the stage.

They met up a few moments later, behind the stage where Pipper would be giving her speech momentarily, sharing a brief but heartfelt kiss.

“I’m so glad I get to do that now without worrying about who’s going to see,” Pipper smiled, adoration clear in her voice as she tucked a lock of hair behind Kat’s ear.

“It is nice, isn’t it?”  Kat caught Pipper’s hand and kissed the palm of it.  “So, are you ready to face the masses?”

Pipper nodded.  “You remember your cue, right?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Good,” Pipper took a deep breath.  “Well, here goes nothing”

“You’re going to do just fine.”  Kat gave her a quick peck.  “Every speech you give is amazing, you’ve got this.  Now go!”  She gave Pipper a slight shove, Pipper squeezing her hand briefly before heading onto the stage.

Warm applause greeted Pipper as she approached the podium.  “Thank you, thank you,” she acknowledged the crowd, smiling warmly.  “Well, it certainly has been another eventful Riverside Festival, hasn’t it?”  A low rumble of laughter spread across the crowd, accompanied by the hum of voices presumably referring to Pipper’s little showing.  “I’d like to start off by thanking everyone involved in the production of this festival; from the London city council, to our citizen’s group, and Scotland Yard, thank you to you all for putting on such an excellent festival this year.  Thank you to the vendors for their excellent as always service, we’d be a much poorer city if not for our wonderful local business people.  And on that note, a shout out and an extra thank you to London Town Hardware for providing all of this year’s lights, the riverside was absolutely gorgeous.”  She paused as applause sounded.

“And, of course, this year’s festival was made extra special by the premiere of the Riverside Musical.  The youth of this city have worked extremely hard this past year and it has certainly paid off, the musical has proven itself to be exactly the addition this festival needed.  The performances were outstanding, the sets spectacular, and the music some of the best I’ve ever heard.  I think I speak for everyone when I say I can’t wait to watch it again next year.  Let’s hear another round of applause for all those involved in the production!”  Thunderous applause followed.

Pipper used the pause to steady her nerves for the next part of the speech.  “Now, I’m sure everyone here is waiting for me to make a comment on my little appearance earlier today.”  Murmurs of agreement rang out.  “My appearance alone I’m sure was quite the surprise forget the fact that I appeared with another woman.”  She smiled wanly.  “I’m sure many of you are familiar with the name Katrielle Layton and the investigative work she completed since opening her detective agency, she certainly has done a lot for this city.”  Pipper’s smile widened as a few cheers sounded out, turning and beckoning for Kat to join her.

Pipper wrapped an arm around Kat’s waist as she joined her on stage.  “Kat and I met during last year’s festival, she was brought in on the investigation prompted by the little trick I put on.”  She gave Kat an affectionate look.  “Saw right through me of course, you can’t pull anything over on this girl.”  Kat nudged her with her hip gently, coaxing a giggle out of Pipper.  “We were fast friends, and then just after the new year things changed.  And I, like so many couples that we’ve seen during today’s and previous year’s Show of Devotion, realized I’d found the person I wanted to share this experience with.”  Pipper grinned.  “So, here’s hoping that what the legend says about meeting your loved one on either side of the river is true, am I right?”  More laughter sounded.

Pipper caught Kat’s eye for a second, feeling her world narrow down to nothing but her smiling face as she realized that they had done it, they had finally revealed their love to the world.  She wanted nothing more than to just go home and celebrate – or possibly collapse in bed and fall asleep, it had been a long couple of weeks after all – but she still had things to wrap up, so she turned back to the microphone.  “And so, another year, another Riverside Festival come to a close.  I know for me this one was extra special, and I hope it was for all of you as well, it is always my greatest honour and privilege to see everyone’s smiling faces as they enjoy the festivities, it always reminds me why I put so much effort into the festival each year.  Here’s to next year!”  Cheers erupted from the crowd, unintelligible at first but eventually morphing into a chant of just ‘kiss’ over and over again.  “Hmm,” Pipper pretended to ponder.  “Where does Ms Detective think that’s coming from?”

Kat tapped her chin thoughtfully, “I’m not sure, it’s currently coming from all over the crowd, but if I had to guess a point of origin, it would be,” she paused for dramatic effect, “you over there!”  She pointed towards the group of secondary and post-secondary school students near the front, the very same that had put on the Riverside Musical, now all sporty guilty grins on their faces.  “So, what do you think?  Shall we give them what they want?”

“I’m not sure,” Pipper hummed.  “What does the rest of the audience think?  Shall we indulge the youngsters?”  More cheering.  “I do believe that is a yes, what do you think, Katrielle?”

Kat grinned.  “I do believe we should give them what they want then, shouldn’t we?”  With that, she leaned in, giving Pipper a brief but deep kiss, keeping it proper for the public but passionate enough to pour her feelings into.

Pipper couldn’t help the blush that coloured her face at such a public display.  She knew that the kiss would be plastered all over the media the next day but in that moment, she just could not bring herself to care.  “And with that, this year’s Riverside Festival is officially closed, let the countdown to next year begin!”  The applause started again, the couple taking a moment to wave at the crowd before exiting the stage.

“So,” Kat murmured once they were away from all the noise, “was it worth it?”

Pipper gave Kat a heartfelt smile.  “One hundred percent,” she confirmed, leaning in for one last kiss under the lights of the festival as they started to flicker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update tbd but hopefully sooner than this time lol
> 
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> And it's begun! If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll see you the next day for sure


End file.
